Born a Potter, Raised a Black
by lia-leigh
Summary: The Dark Lord attacks the Potters when Harry is three-years-old, and Harry ends up with adoptive parents who are loyal to Voldemort.  Harry's going to end up being dark.  AU, obviously.  R & R.  Complete as of July 24, 2012.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Plot Summary: Voldemort attacks the Potters when Harry is three-years-old, and Harry ends up with Regulus and his wife, who are loyal to the Dark Lord's cause, even though they are not marked Deatheaters. I think you can tell already, but Harry's going to end up being dark (not evil, though).**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

**Warnings: There are multiple character deaths in this chapter, as well as some mild torture (nothing too bad, I promise). And some language.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER ONE<span>

James Potter watched on fondly as one of his best friends, Sirius Black, conjured multi-colored bubbles for Harry's amusement. Harry, a happy and lively three-year-old, watched as the bubbles popped one by one. Normally, Harry wouldn't have been entertained, but he had had already had his bath, and his eyes were slowly drooping.

"Sirius, give him here," Lily said from the doorway.

James watched as the love of his life took Harry from Sirius' arms and disappeared upstairs so she could put her son to bed.

Sirius popped the last of the bubbles once Harry was gone. "Did you hear the happy news?"

"From the way you said it, this news doesn't sound so happy."

"Dear Reggie got married," Sirius said bitterly. "To some lovely lady named Julia Reid. A big pureblood ceremony, of course."

"Sounds fantastic. Probably plenty of Deatheaters there. Did you go?"

Sirius snorted. "What are you on Prongs? I found out through the grapevine. There was no chance that I would have gone, even if I did get an invitation. Apparently, Bella was there in all her insanity."

"Of course. What would a Deatheater wedding be without _his _right hand?"

"James!" Lily hissed. "I told you, can you not mention Deatheaters or You-Know-Who in this house? My nerves have been shot this past week. Things just don't feel right."

* * *

><p>"Tell me where the Potters are, you pathetic excuse for a wizard."<p>

"Never..."

"Crucio!"

The man writhed on the grimy floor of the dungeon, his already bloody fingers scrabbling for purchase on the slick stones beneath him.

"Tell me, or by the time I'm done, you'll beg for death."

"Please..."

"Tell me!"

"6 North Lake Lane. Godric's Hollow," the man gasped out.

A flash of green light ended his life.

* * *

><p>Sirius stood up and stretched. "I should be getting home, Prongs. Goodnight, Lily."<p>

"Goodnight, Sirius."

And then all three adult felt a pulse go through them, and then dread trickled to the pits of all of their stomachs. The wards.

James jumped into action. "Lily, go upstairs, take Harry, and run. We'll hold him off." He then patted his pockets. His wand wasn't there.

Sirius dashed outside, and James saw bright flashes from spell fire. He ran to the kitchen, where he had left his wand on the counter, and then went outside to help Sirius.

But as he reached the door, he heard a loud cackle.

He kept going.

Outside on the, ground, was the body of his best friend. His brother in all but blood. He swallowed the bile that was rising up in his throat, and faced the Dark Lord.

"Ah, James Potter. We meet again."

"Nice to see you too, Moldyshorts."

"Tsk, tsk. Here I was thinking that you had overcome your days of schoolyard namecalling."

They traded spells back and forth. James felt himself being pushed back towards the house, and then he tripped over the threshold. He rolled out of the way just in time, as a bolt of bright green light struck the ground where he had just been.

All he could think of was Lily and Harry. They had to get out. They just had to. He let himself get distracted for a split second. All he saw was a beam of green light. All he felt was himself falling to the floor. And then there was nothing.

In Harry's bedroom, Lily Potter was preparing to run to safety with her son when she saw a faint green light come from near the stairs. And then she heard nothing. That could only mean one thing.

James. Her wonderful James.

Lily closed the door and cradled Harry closer to her chest.

She heard slow, deliberate footsteps as the one everyone feared approached the door. Harry began to stir, but she quickly shushed him back to sleep.

The door exploded, wood flying everywhere. Lily ducked her head and shielded her son as Voldemort stepped into the room. She quickly laid Harry on his bed, and stood in front of it.

"Stand aside, you silly girl."

"Never."

"Step aside and I'll spare your life, you Mudblood."

"No, not Harry. Take me instead."

"Fine. Avada Kedavra!" Lily Potter crumpled to the ground at the Dark Lord's feet. "Foolish girl," Voldemort muttered. He leveled his wand at the sleeping boy, and said the same words that had ended his mother's life.

Voldemort wasn't prepared for the bolt of pure white light that was sent back at him.

He moved just in time, and saw the light hit the wall behind him, causing more debris to fly through the air. He could hear the pops of apparating wizards, and after he sent up his mark, he decided that it was time for him to go.

Albus Dumbledore approached 6 North Lake Lane in Godric's Hollow with a sense of trepidation. The Aurors had already arrived, and he could see several in their scarlet cloaks, milling about on the lawn.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, approached him with a mournful expression on his face.

"What happened?"

"Voldemort was here," the dark-skinned Auror said. "Sirius, Lily, and James are all dead."

"What about Harry?"

"He was found alive in his bedroom. Fast asleep. He's with the mediwizards now, but you can see him. But first, we need you to...identify the bodies."

The Auror led Dumbledore over to the body on the walkway first, and drew back the white sheet to reveal the face of Sirius Black. His eyes were open but they were devoid of life. Kingsley then took Dumbledore inside, to the living room. Not far from the door, lay another shrouded corpse.

After Kingsley drew back the sheet, Dumbledore said, "Yes, that's James."

They then walked up the stairs, where the real destruction lay. Dumbledore didn't need his friend's help to locate the place of Lily Potter's demise. The third casualty of Voldemort's attack lay in a room painted red and gold lay at end of the hall. He could already tell from the halo of dark red hair emerging from the sheet that it was Lily Potter.

"I don't need to see her, Kingsley," the headmaster said heavily. "Where's Harry?"

"In the kitchen. He doesn't know yet."

The two men returned downstairs, and Dumbledore went straight to the kitchen. The mediwizards stopped what they were doing when he stepped into the room.

"We just got him back to sleep," one of them whispered.

Dumbledore carefully approached the snoozing toddler, who lay on a makeshift bed on the kitchen counter. The old wizard could see the cut, shaped like a bolt of lightning, on the boy's forehead.

"What happened?"

"We believe that You-Know-Who tried to kill him, by means of the Killing Curse."

"And he survived?"

"Yes."

"Then I believe that Harry Potter is now the Boy-Who-Lived."

* * *

><p>Dumbledore brought the Harry, who was fast asleep, to the door of Number 4 Privet Drive, a perfectly ordinary house in a perfectly ordinary neighborhood.<p>

He knocked twice, and eventually, a horse-faced woman in a pink dressing gown opened the door.

She hissed, "What in heaven's name are you doing here?"

"Your nephew is now an orphan, Mrs. Dursley," Dumbledore said. "You're his only family left."

"So? That doesn't mean that I have to take the little freak. Leave it to Lily to get herself blown up or something ridiculous like that!"

"Your sister, her husband, and your nephew's godfather were murdered last night by a man who most people in our world fear. You must take Harry in. You'll have my protection."

Petunia snorted. "Harry? What a nasty, common name that is. I don't need your protection because I'm not going to take the little freak. Good day." She then began to slam her door, but thought better of it, and closed it quietly instead. After all, she didn't want to give the neighbors something to gossip about.

Dumbledore sighed. He had no choice but to take Harry to the Ministry. He turned on his heel, and apparated straight to Amelia Bone's office.

"Bloody hell!"

"I'm sorry Amelia. I didn't mean to startle you, but I need your help. Have you heard about the Potters?"

The witch sighed. "Who hasn't? Everyone's been running around like mad. People who haven't left yet are. In droves. Everyone's either in hiding or they've left the country. The only people left are my department and Fudge, and he's considering going underground."

"Do people know about Harry?"

Amelia's attention shifted to the toddler in Dumbledore's arms. "Yes, I've heard. The Boy-Who-Lived and everything. Poor dear."

"Do you think you could take him in? Just for a day or two. I took him to his Muggle relatives, but his aunt wouldn't take him."

Amelia's face took on a pained look. "I suppose I could, and Susan could use a friend. But first, I have to look at the wills, and see who Lily and James wanted to have him."

And then screams could be heard from the hallway.

Amelia grabbed her wand and rushed from the room. Once she made sure that there was no imminent threat, she returned and said to Dumbledore, "I think you should see this." She took harry, and then Dumbledore ventured into the corridor.

On the floor was the badly mutilated body of Peter Pettigrew. His hands and face were bruised and bloody, and the Dark Mark had been carved into his chest. His light blue eyes stared out without any life.

"Take him to St. Mungo's," Dumbledore commanded the Aurors that stood around the body. He then returned to Amelia's office and shut the door. "Peter was Lily and James secret keeper," he explained. "I checked in on him yesterday afternoon. He was fine."

"It's not your fault Albus. It's You-Know-Who's. Why don't you take Harry to Hogwarts for the day, and I'll search the records. If we hand him over to Children's Welfare, he'll end up with someone like Lucius Malfoy. We don't want that."

"No we don't," Dumbledore agreed. "Good day, Amelia." He then gathered up Harry, and took him to the hospital wing at Hogwarts.

Poppy Pomfrey emerged from her office when she heard them arrive.

"Albus, how is he?"

"Fine, Poppy, he's fine."

* * *

><p>At Number 12 Grimmauld Place in London, Regulus was enjoying breakfast with his wife when he felt a presence behind him. It could only be one person.<p>

He and Julia dropped to their knees and said, "My lord."

"Rise. You are not among my ranks. I have come with a request for you, Regulus."

"Yes?"

"The Daily Prophet has not come out yet, but you must know that I killed the Potters last night, along with your brother." Regulus sucked in a breath. "I have not yet seen the wills, but I highly suppose that your brother's status as the Potter boy's godfather has passed onto you."

"What? Harry Potter's alive?"

Voldemort sneered. "Unfortunately, yes. He managed to survive the Killing Curse. It was old magic, something that I couldn't have foreseen. They're calling him, the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. But no matter. I want the two of you to adopt him and raise him to be on the right side."

"Of course, my lord."

After that, the Dark Lord left, leaving as quickly as he had come, and Regulus allowed himself to exhale.

"I'm so sorry about your brother, Regulus. I know you cared about him," Julia said as they resumed their meal.

"I'll have to make arrangements," Regulus said vacantly. "Deal with his things and all of that."

Julia nodded, and simply ran a soothing hand up and down his arm.

* * *

><p>Amelia Bones arrived in Dumbledore's office later that afternoon with several sheets of parchment in her hands.<p>

"Hello, Albus. Here's the information you were looking for. I managed to make copies of all of the papers."

Dumbledore looked the papers over. "Lily and James left everything to Harry, of course. The only approved guardian they listed was Sirius, and said that under no circumstances should Harry go to the Dursleys. Did Sirius leave a will?"

Amelia shook her head. "I checked with the goblins. I even went to Godric's Hollow and searched the house. If he wanted to make one, he didn't have the chance too."

"So then what does this mean? Does everything pass on to Sirius' next of kin?"

"Yes," Amelia said, "but you won't like who it is. It's Regulus Black."

"How is that? Sirius' mother disowned him when he ran away his sixth year."

"I wondered that too, so I checked the records. He was never legally disowned, so for a while, he was actually Lord Black, even though he never claimed the seat. Regulus is Sirius' brother, so he's his closest living relative. After him is Bellatrix Lestrange, then Narcissa Malfoy. Andromeda was legally disowned, so Harry can't go live with her."

"So what do we do?"

"Regulus probably knows by now, and he's probably been informed that he's the new head of his house."

"We have no choice, do we Amelia?" Dumbledore asked after sighing heavily.

"Unfortunately, no."

* * *

><p>Once Regulus managed to wrestle himself out of his stupor, he put on a set of black and silver formal robes and prepared to go to the Ministry.<p>

"Julia, while I'm gone, could you clear out anything questionable and put it in our Gringotts vault. I don't want anything happening if the Ministry decides to come knocking."

"Of course," she said. "Stay safe."

Regulus left the house and apparated to the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic. After descending into the atrium via the red Muggle telephone booth, he walked straight to the Office for Magical Children's Welfare.

The receptionist asked with a bored look on her face, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually. I'm here to adopt Harry Potter."

The woman didn't bother to look up from her magazine. "I'm sorry, sir, but Harry Potter isn't available for adoption. You're the twentieth person today to ask."

"Actually, I believe that Mr. Black is fully within his rights as young Harry's godfather," a silky voice said from behind Regulus.

That cause the woman's head to snap up. She went from boredom to being on the brink of tears. "Of course, Lord Malfoy, I'm so, so sorry for the inconvenience. Please, take a seat while I get things in order. Could I get you tea? Coffee? Anything?"

Regulus chuckled to himself as the young woman almost tripped over herself in an effort to please Lucius. It was no secret that the platinum blonde man was a Deatheater, and someone you didn't want to cross.

"Have you gone to the Wizengamot yet to claim your lordship?" Lucius asked once he and Regulus were seated.

"I plan to, but I must take care of other things first. I need to get Harry home to Julia, and then I have to go to St. Mungo's to make an official identification."

"Ah, of course. You must arrange things for your brother. Wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose. What a tragedy."

"Yes, it is." Then a paper airplane came zipping through the air and landed on Regulus' lap. He unfolded it, and after reading it, he said, "I must go to the Auror Office and remove my brother's possessions."

"Of course, I forgot. Your brother was an Auror. This is truly a shame. Such a powerful wizard. And a pureblood as well."

"I know. Thank you for your condolences, Lucius."

"Anytime, Regulus. But I must be going. Narcissa expects me home in five minutes. She can only handle Draco on her own for so long."

"Yes, I remember him being rather...willful."

"Yes, he is," Lucius said with a fond smile. "Good day to you Regulus. I wish you the best of luck."

Eventually, the receptionist returned, bringing with her several forms. "You need to fill these out in order to adopt him. Do you plan to have an official ceremony?"

"That's a given." Whenever a pureblood family adopted a child, which was a unusual occurrence, they always adopted the child by blood.

"Then you have to fill out this form too, with the child's new name and everything. Then you're done and you can bring him home."

Regulus nodded. "And where's the boy?"

The woman gulped. "Actually, I don't know."

Regulus had a feeling of where Harry could be, but he had to milk this. "So the Ministry of Magic, the magical governing body of the entire British Isles, doesn't know where the Boy-Who-Lived is?"

"I haven't seen him. Rumor is that Dumbledore brought him in," the woman said, trembling.

"I believe that I must see Minister Fudge on this matter." Regulus quickly filled out the papers, thrust them at the woman, and then took the lift to the Minister of Magic's office. He stormed pass Fudge's surprised secretary and straight into the man's opulent office.

Fudge exclaimed, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Are you aware that your government has managed to lose a child named Harry Potter, who happens to be the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"W-w-what?"

"And that he was last seen in the custody of one Albus Dumbledore, who is neither a relation nor the child's legal guardian?"

"And who are you? What claim do you have to the boy? We've been hearing from people like you all day, so don't give me any funny business."

"Regulus Arcturus Black. Son of Orion and Walburga Black, brother of the late Sirius Black. Within a few days at the most, I will be the new Lord Black, so I believe that you should listen to me."

"I apologize, Mr. Black. But once again, you have no claim to the Potter boy. He's somewhere safe, that's all I can say."

"Actually, I do have a claim to Harry. Sirius was his godfather, so as Sirius' next of kin, that responsibility is now mine. My wife and I will raise Harry, as it is our legal right and duty."

Fudge stared at him. "Then you have to go to the Office of Wizarding Children's Welfare and fill out the appropriate forms."

"That's already been taken care of. Now may please see my godson and take him home?" That sounded odd. He and Julia had wanted children, but had found out before their marriage had taken place that that wouldn't be possible. And they were young. He was twenty-one, and she was twenty.

"Of course."

Fudge called his secretary and had her send a message to Dumbledore. While he waited, Regulus then sent a message via his Patronus to Julia A half hour later, Dumbledore appeared in Fudge's office, cradling the Potter boy.

"Give him here, Dumbledore," Regulus said.

Dumbledore sighed heavily, but he had no choice but to hand the still sleeping child over to Regulus.

Regulus left the Ministry and apparated straight to the steps of Gringotts. He walked inside, and said quickly to a goblin, "My wife, Julia Black, should have asked to arrange a room for an adoption ceremony."

"Yes. Right this way."

Regulus got more than a few curious looks as he followed the goblin into the marble halls of the bank, but he walked until he reached the room where Julia was waiting. The goblins had already supplied everything, so they would just need to perform the ritual.

The goblin asked, "You do understand that once you perform the ritual, there will be no going back. You will become his family by blood. That will be the end of the Potter line."

"I understand."

"And do you understand that the wealth inside of his vaults and his properties in the land will disappear, and that no one can claim them?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Then proceed."

Regulus handed Harry to Julia, and then picked up the blood quill that lay on the desk in front of him. He winced as he felt it cut into his hand, but he still wrote on a piece of parchment 'Regulus Arcturus Black'. He then handed the quill to Julia, and she wrote 'Julia Danielle Black'. They then held the quill together and wrote 'Harrison James Aries Black'. They would call him Harry for short.

Once the blood on the parchment dried, Regulus folded it and inserted it into a vial filled with a black potion. The parchment bubbled and fizzed it dissolved, and then potion turned bright red.

Julia shook Harry awake. "Harry, dear, wake up."

The three-year-old blearily opened his bright green eyes. "Wha-?"

"Harry, drink this, please."

The boy didn't have a chance to object as Julia held the vial to his mouth and forced him to swallow. She then rocked him back to sleep.

"We should see the results in the morning. Let's go home."

They left Gringotts and returned to Number 12 Grimmauld Place with Harry, now Harrison, in tow.

"I had the house elves set up your old room for him," Julia said. She carried Harry to the second floor and Regulus opened the door for them.

The Black crest above the bed had been repainted. A smaller bed had been placed in the room, and had been made up with green and white sheets. The walls had been painted a light cream, and dark green velvet hangings framed the windows.

Julia waved her wand and changed the snitch and quaffle pattern on Harry's pajamas from red and gold to green and silver. Then she laid him in the bed, and gave him a kiss.

"We'll tell him everything in the morning," she said to Regulus.

* * *

><p>Harry woke Julia and Regulus up at four o'clock in the morning by calling, "Mummy! Mummy!"<p>

Julia shook her husband's shoulder and said, "Let's go."

They both rolled out of bed and went to comfort the distraught boy. Julia went into the room first, and Regulus followed her. Harry's cries stopped once he saw them enter.

He cocked his head to the side when he saw Regulus and asked, "Uncle Siri?"

Regulus shook his head. "I'm his brother, Regulus."

"Oh. Where're my Mummy and my Daddy?"

Julia sat down on the bed next to Harry and ran a hand over his dark hair. "Your Mummy and Daddy died, Harry. They're angels now. You see, a bad man named Dumbledore told them to hide, and a good man named Voldemort had no choice but to kill them."

"Bad man? Dumblydore?"

"Yes, Harry," Regulus said, sitting on the other side of the toddler. "Dumbledore is a bad man. He does everything for the greater good. He doesn't care about anyone else. He thinks Voldemort is evil, but he's just...jealous."

"Where's Siri? And Uncle Remy? And Uncle Wormy?"

Regulus had to stop himself from snorting at the boy's nickname for Peter Pettigrew.

"Sirius died too, with your Mummy and Daddy," he said as carefully as he could. "We're trying to find Remus and Peter so they can play with you." No need to tell Harry that he wasn't about to let him near a werewolf.

That day, Harry spent a long time crying for his parents and godfather. All the little boy could hope for is that his surrogate uncles would come along.

* * *

><p>Once Harry had fallen back asleep, Regulus finally had a chance to examine that day's <em>Daily Prophet<em>. Pettigrew's death had made the front page. It was noted that a photo of the body was too grisly to print, so the paper had settled for publishing a picture from the Marauders' school days.

But with an ominous air, the Dark Lord appeared in their home again.

"My lord," Regulus and his wife both said, but they didn't bow this time.

"I understand that Harry is now in your custody?"

"Yes, he's upstairs, asleep," Julia said.

"I will not disturb him," Voldemort said. "But I must tell you that one Remus John Lupin may come looking for him soon. Dumbledore sent him on a mission for the Order of the Phoenix not long before the Potters' demise."

Regulus asked, "Do you want us to recruit him for the cause, my lord?"

"Yes. I believe he's already disillusioned with the Light, and he will be even more so once he learns that his three best friends are dead. When he returns, seek him out, discreetly, of course, and bring him back into Harry's life. I have ordered Lucius to do this as well."

"Yes, my lord."

With that, Voldemort swept back out of their home.

'So much for not allowing him around Harry,' Regulus thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Sure enough, Remus Lupin returned to the Order of the Phoenix three days later.<p>

He yelled, "Dumbledore!" as he swept into the headmaster's office, as Hogwarts was the Order's headquarters. Heads turned as he walked into the room. Never had any of them seen the kindhearted werewolf so angry. "Is it true? Lily? James? Sirius? Peter?"

"Yes, my boy," Dumbledore said gravely. "It's true."

"And no one thought to send me a message? Let me know so I didn't have to find out from an old paper and the pitying looks I got on the street?"

"We couldn't compromise the mission, Remus," Kingsley Shacklebolt said from Dumbledore's right. "It's imperative that we get the werewolves on our side."

Remus let out a choked sob. "Damn the mission! My best friends just died, and now you're telling me that the mission was more important? Well you can take your mission and shove it up your collective arses. I'm done."

With that, he left the room, jogging down the stairs that spiraled from the headmaster's office. He strode down the corridor, not looking right or left. And then he ran into someone who happened to be carrying a heavy cane.

Remus straightened himself up, but froze when he realized that he was staring straight into the eyes of one Lucius Malfoy. Shit. It seemed as if Malfoy had realized who he had just collided with, because he straightened his robes with a huff and said, "Lupin."

"Malfoy."

"What a surprise that I ran into you, of all people. So sorry for your friends. I just came from a Board of Governors meeting, and I realized, with Dumbledore as headmaster, the standards at Hogwarts are certainly lower than what they were when our forefathers attended this school."

"That could be true," Remus said carefully. After all, everyone knew that Lucius Malfoy's tongue was as slick as his hair.

"Well, you see, in a year or two, my son will require a tutor, and even I can recall your brilliance from our school years."

"I don't think so."

Malfoy leaned closer. "If it makes you more comfortable, we could continue this discussion at my manor. After all, everyone knows that they walls of Hogwarts have ears."

Remus realized that he had no choice. After all, he had no job, especially now that he had quit the Order. He was desperate. "Fine."

"Excellent. Shall we go find a fireplace, then?"

Lucius and Remus made their way back to the Board of Governors' meeting room, and used the fireplace to floo to Malfoy Manor in Wilshire.

"Hello, Lucius, how did the meeting..." Narcissa trailed off when she noticed their guest. "Lucius, why didn't you tell me you invited someone over? I would have had the house elves prepare tea."

Lucius waved her admonishment away. "It's not important, Narcissa. I invited Mr. Lupin to stay here and be Draco's tutor starting next year."

"What?" Remus exclaimed. "You never mentioned staying at Malfoy Manor."

"Well, it would make more sense," Narcissa said. "After all, another boy may be joining Draco for lessons."

"Who?"

"Harrison Black. Oh wait, you know him as Harry Potter. Regulus and Julia graciously adopted him a few days ago." Remus sunk into the nearest chair. "Oh, I do apologize," Narcissa said. "I was sure that you had heard. It was splashed all over the papers. Sirius' status as Harry's godfather passed onto Regulus, his closet living relative. So Regulus and his wife adopted harry."

"What's his name now?"

"Harrison James Aries Black," Lucius said. "An excellent name."

"Where is he? Can I see him?"

"Well, I guess I could see if Regulus and Julia have plans for the afternoon. Maybe they can come over for tea, and then they can bring Harry with them," Narcissa replied. "He should meet Draco anyway."

"I'll go ask them," Lucius said.

One floo conversation later, Julia, Regulus, and Harry were on their way to Malfoy Manor. The moment Julia stepped out of the massive fireplace with Harry in her arms, the toddler yelled, "Uncle Remy!" Remus caught Harry as the boy ran as fast as his little legs carry him. "Missed you."

"Missed you too, buddy."

"I miss Mummy and Daddy and Siri, and Uncle Wormy too. They're not coming back?"

"No, Harry. I'm sorry, but they're gone."

"It's the bad man Dumblydore's fault," Harry proclaimed.

Remus was startled for a moment, but he just held Harry tighter and said, "Yes, Harry. It's all his fault."

* * *

><p><strong>So what did you think? Read &amp; Review (I accept anonymous ones, so feel free to click that button)! (And I'm sorry updates for <em>Not Afraid to Live <em>are going slowly...don't worry, a new chapter's coming soon to a computer near you.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Warnings: None for this chapter.**

**Shoutouts: Thanks to **minato4ever**, **El-Queso**, **NoturHeroNeMore**, **Marikili68**, **Ellis**,** **and **Caroline the Poet **for reviewing! **

NoturHeroNeMore **-** **I'm thinking of a few pairings for Harry, so stay tuned (but actual romance is going to wait a while)!**

Ellis** - I haven't really decided yet, but he's already against Dumbledore. He may fight Voldemort, or he may join him. And like I said above, romance will come, but not for a while (they're eleven, after all!)**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**Remus was startled for a moment, but he just held Harry tighter and said, "Yes, Harry. It's all his fault."**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER TWO<span>

Eight years later, a soon-to-be eleven-year-old Harry walked as quickly as proper manners were allowed. He was heading towards his father's study with a letter in hand. It was addressed to: _Mr. Harrison James Aries Black, Second Largest Bedroom, No. 12 Grimmauld Place, London. _Harry knocked twice on the heavy oak door, to which his father responded, "Come in."

Harry stepped into the room, where his father was sitting at his desk, scribbling on a sheet of parchment. "Good morning, father. My Hogwarts letter arrived."

"Then what are you waiting for?" his mother asked from her seat on the settee. "Go on, open it."

Harry slipped his finger underneath the dark green wax seal and opened the flap. His eyes scanned the parchment, which read:

_Dear Mr. Black,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_The new term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall (Deputy Headmistress, Transfiguration Professor)_

Once Harry finished reading, he handed the letter to his father. Regulus gave it a quick glance and said, "Reply now. We can decide on a date for a trip to Diagon Alley over lunch. Why don't you head over to Draco's early?"

"Of course, father," Harry replied. He tucked the letter back into the envelope and returned to his room. He took a moment to stare out into their large back garden, before putting his books and homework into his leather satchel. Then he sat down at his desk to write a letter to Professor McGonagall.

He had been raised to write properly, and proper diction had been ground into his head. Harry's reply read thus:

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_I will be pleased to attend Hogwarts beginning September 1 of this year._

_Sincerely,_

_Harrison James Aries Potter_

_Heir of House of Black_

Once he dated the letter and sealed it inside an envelope with dark red wax, he sent it off with his snowy owl, Hedwig. He then threw his satchel over his shoulder, went downstairs to the drawing room, and flooed to Malfoy Manor.

When he gracefully stepped out of the fireplace, Draco greeted him by saying, "You're early, Harry."

Harry and Draco were as thick as thieves, and even closer because they were cousins through Draco's mother, Narcissa. They managed to convince the Malfoy house elves to sneak them a few cookies before their lesson with Remus, and then they went to the schoolroom.

Remus had been tutoring them in all things magic since they were both four years old. He taught them all of the subjects they would learn at Hogwarts, as well as magical theory and some basic healing. Narcissa and Julia tackled the etiquette training of the two boys, and Regulus and Lucius had them on racing brooms by age six.

At the beginning of the lesson, Remus collected the homework he had set for them the night before: ten inches on the magical theory behind levitating charms. And then he asked, "Since you both got your letters today, would you prefer to spend this lesson talking about Hogwarts?"

"Definitely," Harry said.

Draco nodded in agreement. "I want to know everything."

Remus chuckled. "Well, what do you want to know first?"

"How are we sorted?" Draco asked. "Father won't tell me."

"Normally, it's kept a secret, so don't tell your parents that I told you. But you have to try on a hat. A magical one, an artifact made by Godric Gryffindor himself. The hat in an unbiased judge, and places you in the house where you will best belong."

"Which would be Slytherin," Harry said.

"For you two, yes," Remus said. "And some of your friends may join you there as well. After all, Slytherins always strive for greatness. Any other questions?"

"Do you know how we could sneak our brooms in?" Harry asked. He and Draco both had the newest, and best, racing broom on the market, the Nimbus 2000.

"Unfortunately, no I don't. But you'll still get to fly, as first years have flying lessons."

Draco snorted. "My father told me about the school brooms. You'd have better luck if you cut down a branch and spelled some twigs onto it. They're horrible."

"True, true. I remember the ones from my school days. I wouldn't be surprised if they had the same brooms from back then."

For the following two hours, two boys spent the rest of the afternoon peppering Remus with questions about Hogwarts.

* * *

><p>The Black and Malfoy families went shopping in Diagon Alley a week later in order to buy Draco and Harry's school supplies. They all apparated straight to the small courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron, as Julia and Narcissa both refused to enter the dingy pub.<p>

Regulus tapped the brick wall with his wand, and the bricks unraveled to reveal the marvel known as Diagon Alley.

They went to Gringotts first, and then headed straight to Madam Malkin's, so the boys could get fitted for robes. To expedite their shopping trip, their mothers went to go pick up their books and stationary, and their fathers went to get everything they needed for potions.

When Draco and Harry entered the seamstress's shop, another child was already being measured for robes. She stood out, mainly due to her bushy hair and large front teeth. Her parents stood on the side, already laden down with bags.

"Muggles," Draco whispered to Harry, glancing at the couple.

Harry and Draco stepped up on the stools, and Madam Malkin automatically stopped attending to the girl, and gestured to an assistant to continue her work. "Harry, Draco, how are you two doing? Is it finally time for your Hogwarts robes?"

Harry was acutely aware that the girl and her parents were observing his and Draco's interaction with the storekeeper. "Yes, it is. Finally."

Draco withdrew a list from his pocket and handed it to Madam Malkin. "My mother requested that we get new everyday robes as well. She and Lady Black mentioned something about us growing too fast. My mother will send one of our house elves to pick up everything two days for now."

Madam Malkin glanced at the list before tucking it into her shirt pocket. "That won't be a problem, Draco. Now, let's get your measurements. I can give you your Hogwarts robes today, at least, if you come back in an hour."

"That sounds fine," Harry replied.

She set about having the boys try on identical black robes, and then set about correcting the hems and hemming the sleeves. While they were being fitted, they heard the assistant tell the girl, "Okay, dearie, you're all set. Come back in an hour and a half." They also felt the curious glances coming from the girl as she left the store.

Eventually, Harry and Draco were done being fitted for clothing, and they left the shop to meet up with their parents outside of Fortescue's ice cream parlor.

"The only things we have left to buy are your wands," Mr. Malfoy said. Harry and Draco had been using standard training wands for their coursework with Remus, but now it was time that they had their own.

They walked down the cobblestone street to Ollivander's, a small, dusty shop towards the end of Diagon Alley. When Mr. Malfoy opened the creaky door, the quiet tinkle of a small bell overhead announced their presence.

"Mr. Black, Mr. Malfoy, I was wondering when you would set foot in my shop," Mr. Ollivander said as he appeared from around a tall shelf. He then addressed their parents by saying, "And how are all of your wands working?"

"Fine, Mr. Ollivander," Regulus said. "We don't have time to talk. Harry, you go first."

Ollivander nodded his head, which was covered in wispy gray hair, and a measuring tape began to measure Harry on its own accord. Ollivander disappeared behind the shelf, and began pulling out wooden boxes that contained wands.

"Try this," he said. "Cherry and unicorn hair." Harry grasped the wand, but Ollivander snatched it away. "No, no, that won't do. How about this? Mahogany with a phoenix feather core." Harry tried the wand, and caused a vase to explode with a single wave. "Absolutely not! Here, this one is ebony, with a dragon heartstring core. Twelve and a half inches."

Harry waved the wand and silver and green sparks shot out of the wand. "This is the one," he said.

"Very curious," the wand maker said. "Very curious indeed."

Before his father could interrupt, Harry asked, "What's curious, Mr. Ollivander?"'

"That you are destined for that wand. There is another, the brother wand of the one that gave you that scar." Ollivander reached for the lightning bolt on Harry's forehead, but Regulus pulled his son back by the shoulders.

"I believe that that's enough curiosity for the day," Regulus said, "Your turn, Draco."

The blonde boy stepped up, and ten minutes later, he had his wand as well. It was eleven inches long, with a core of hawthorn, with a phoenix feather core.

After leaving Ollivander's shop, Regulus whispered to his wife, "We should tell the Dark Lord about what happened." Julia nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>They all celebrated Harry's eleventh birthday two and a half weeks after their shopping trip to Diagon Alley. It was a simple affair at Grimmauld Place, with only the Blacks, the Malfoys, and Remus, but many of Harry's friends sent gifts in the mail.<p>

"Happy birthday Harrison," a voice said as the small party wound down.

All in attendance jumped, and then said, "My lord."

"Harrison, I present to you my gift," the Dark Lord said. He pulled a small box out of his pocket. "Open it."

Harry lifted the lid off the box to reveal a black dragon hide sheath that a contained a platinum penknife. "Thank you, my lord."

"It will unlock any lock and undo any knot, and the blade will never become dull. You will also be able to summon it the same way you would summon your wand. It will answer only to you. Use it well, Harrison." Before Harry could respond, the Dark Lord left.

It wasn't the first time that Draco and Harry had met the Dark Lord. He sometimes stopped by Malfoy Manor, as well as occasionally visiting Grimmauld Place. One thing the boys couldn't do was to tell anyone how close their families were to the Dark Lord. Voldemort had gone underground after Harry had survived the attack, and the magical world had become less and less cautious. When they were at their least wary, Voldemort would strike again.

* * *

><p>As with every year, the Hogwarts staff met before the school year began.<p>

"Minerva," Dumbledore said, "All of the first years responded to their invitations, correct?" The deputy headmistress nodded. "Is there anything we need to know about this year's new students?"

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, but responded anyway. "First of all, we all know that Harrison Black is coming to school this year. His tutor should be joining us momentarily to discuss the boy's academic level."

This time, Snape couldn't stop himself from snorting. "The spawn of James Potter is finally coming to school. Of course he'll need special attention."

"Actually, Mr. Snape, he's one of the brightest people I've ever met," Remus said as he stepped into the room. It was the first time he had set foot in Hogwarts since he had quit the Order of the Phoenix. "His father wanted me to inform you of his son's academic prowess."

Snape exclaimed, "You're his tutor? Don't tell me that the Blacks let someone like you stay in their house."

"Actually, I've been living with the Malfoys. I also tutor their son, Draco. Anyway, as I said, Harry is one of the brightest people I've ever met. He's mastered part of the first year curriculum, and he knows the theory behind most of what he's learned. Therefore, Lord Black is requesting advanced standing for his son."

Dumbledore automatically said, "I'm sorry, Remus, but tell Lord Black that I can't accommodate his request. Besides, Harry will probably be happier with people his own age."

Remus nodded. "Very well, I will inform Lord Black and his son of your decision. Good day."

Once Remus had left, McGonagall continued. "Also, Draco Malfoy is coming to Hogwarts this year. He's your godson, right Severus?"

Snape now looked down at the table. "Actually, not anymore," he said in a low voice.

"What?" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed. "What happened?"

"His parents sent me a letter a few days ago. Essentially, it said that I had changed and that they no longer thought of me as a proper person to take care of their son. And they said that they had found someone more suitable to be Draco's godfather. It's not really a surprise though. I haven't even been allowed to see the boy in several years."

"Who did they replace you with?" Dumbledore asked.

"They wouldn't tell me when I asked, but I'm guessing that they chose Regulus, since Lucius is Harry and Draco are so close."

Dumbledore allowed himself to internally sigh. After all, Severus losing his position as a close friend to the Malfoy family would be a tough blow to overcome, especially when Voldemort came out into the open again.

Pomona Sprout asked, "What other students will be joining Harry and Draco?"

"Well, there's another Weasley, and a few Muggleborn students, one of them being Dudley Dursley. I had some difficulty getting him his letter, but his parents had no choice in the end."

Professor Sprout asked, "Another one of those magic-hating families?"

Professor McGonagall nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, yes. His mother is actually Lily Potter's sister, Petunia. Her husband is one of the most unpleasant human beings I've ever met."

"So Dudley and Harry are technically cousins," Professor Flitwick observed. "I wonder if Harry knows that he has a cousin his age."

Snape snorted again. "I doubt the brat's aware of it. The word 'Muggle' is practically banned in the Black household."

"Very well, anything else, Minerva?"

"Nothing too worrisome, Albus."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "Let's have another good year here at Hogwarts."

* * *

><p>Finally, the first of September rolled around. Harry had his house elf pack his things into his brand new trunk. It was black, with silver fittings and his name embossed on the top, below the Black family crest. He decided to wear robes to the station, as he and his parents would be apparating straight to the Platform.<p>

He pulled dark blue robes over a white shirt and black pants, and wore dragon hide boots. He put a few books and his Hogwarts robes into his brand new satchel, which matched his trunk. The house elves also slipped in a lunch, which consisted of duck, roasted potatoes, and asparagus. Harry strapped his wand holster to his arm and made sure his wand was inside, and he tucked his present from Voldemort into his pocket.

Then he put Hedwig in her cage, giving her plenty of owl treats and water for the long train ride, and headed downstairs. By the time he reached the entry way, his things were waiting for him.

"Are you ready, Harry?" his father asked.

"Yes."

"Then let's go."

Harry held onto his mother's arm as they side along apparated to Platform 9 ¾. Regulus followed them a moment later, and a house elf brought Harry's things.

"Do you see the Malfoys yet?" Julia asked. "They say that they were going to go through the barrier."

"There they are," Regulus said, nodding in the direction of the brick wall. Sure enough, three heads of unmistakable blonde hair were standing near the magical portal to the platform.

The Malfoys weaved their way through the crowd until they reached Harry, Regulus, and Julia.

"Today's the day," Narcissa said. "They're finally off for Hogwarts."

Julia nodded. "The past few years have gone by so fast."

Harry and Draco rolled their eyes at each other. They didn't want to spend their time enduring this sentimental mush.

"Mother," Harry said, "can Draco and I go find a compartment on the train?"

"Of course, Harry. Once you find one, just call for Dippy and she'll bring your Hedwig and your trunk to you," Julia replied.

"Same for you, Draco. Just call Dobby and he'll take care of your things."

Harry and Draco nodded to their parents and tried to make their escape, but their mothers caught them and pulled them each in for one last hug until Christmas.

"Take care of yourself, Harry," his mother said as she straightened the front of his robes. "Don't get into trouble, and do well in your classes."

"And you know who to make friends with, and who to avoid," his father added in a low voice.

"Yes, father."

"Good. Now go enjoy yourself. Goodbye, Draco."

Once Draco had said goodbye to his parents, he two boys took off for the scarlet steam engine, otherwise known as the Hogwarts Express.

The train was about half full when they boarded it, and they managed to find a compartment towards the back that it was large enough to accommodate any friends that might stop by. They settled down, and waited for the train to leave.

Just before the whistle blew, there was a knock on the door to their compartment, and a girl with long blonde hair and hazel eyes walked entered.

"Hi, Daphne," Harry and Draco said.

Daphne Greengrass was a part of the circle of friends that their parents had surrounded them with. The Greengrass family came from a respectable, pureblood line, and was relatively wealthy.

"Hi Draco, hi Harry. I just saw Pansy, so she'll probably be here in a few minutes."

Sure enough, Pansy Parkinson arrived at the compartment shortly after the train had left the station. Pansy's family was wealthy, and her father had significant sway over several departments in the Ministry of Magic. Although her nose made her look slightly like a pug, she was still very pretty.

Not long after Pansy joined them in their compartment, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott joined them as well. Blaise was Italian, and she had tan skin, dark brown hair, and high cheekbones. Her family was traditionally neutral. Theodore, or Theo, had dark skin and close-cropped black hair. His father was a loyal Deatheater.

"We've been looking for you everywhere," Blaise said as she stepped inside the compartment. "How are all of you? I haven't seen you in ages." Blaise's mother had decided to take her daughter to Italy every summer.

"I know, right?" Pansy said. "How's your mother? I heard that she's moved on to husband number seven."

Blaise laughed. "Yep. I wonder how long he'll last before having an accident."

They all settled down as the train continued to wind its way through the countryside. Harry pulled out a book to read, while the Draco and Theo faced off in a game of wizards' chess, and the others played exploding snap.

A few hours into their first trip on the Hogwarts' Express, a witch with a cart stocked with treats knocked on the door to their compartment and asked, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Harry thought about the lunch that he had waiting for him in his satchel, but got up anyway and bought three pumpkin pasties, a few licorice wands, and a package of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

He put the sweets aside and then proceeded to eat the delicious lunch he had courtesy of the Black house elves, and then he dug into his small pile of candy.

"Hey, check this out," Daphne said, pulling out her brand new wand. "My mother taught me this spell. Wingardium leviosa_."_ They all watched captivated as the sweet she was holding in her opposite hand hovered near the ceiling of their compartment.

"Harry and I did that a while ago," Draco said. "Remus Lupin, our tutor taught us some of the first year curriculum. But a lot of it was magical theory, since our parents didn't really trust us much with wands."

"I'm not surprised," Pansy said. "You'd probably put someone's eye out."

Before they could get into their friendly banter, there was the sound of the compartment door sliding open. Standing in the doorway was the same girl that Harry and Draco had seen in Madam Malkin's.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?"

They all stared back at her, until Daphne said, "It would be nice if you had knocked before entering."

"We don't like to surround ourselves with people that don't have manners," Pansy added.

"You're a Muggleborn, aren't you," Draco said.

The girl fidgeted with her hands, but she raised her head and answered. "Yes, my parents are Muggles. They're dentists. I'm so excited to be going to Hogwarts, I've heard that it's the best magical school there is! I read in _Hogwarts, A Hist-_"

Harry cut her off. "I'm Harrison Black. This is Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Daphne Greengrass."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Wait, you're Harry Potter!"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Actually my name is Harrison James Aries Black, and it's been that way since I was three years old. I'm not a Potter."

The looks Hermione was being sent were enough to force her out of the compartment. Once she was gone, Daphne said, "How rude. Honestly, is she trying to offend people? Because if she is, she's succeeding."

* * *

><p>The train arrived at Hogsmeade station early in the evening. They disembarked and Harry and his friends walked down a pathway to meet a giant man who was shouting, "Firs' years over 'ere! Firs' years over 'ere!"<p>

"That's one big man," Theo said.

"His name's Hagrid," Pansy spat. "He's a half giant. He got expelled in his third year, Dumbledore let him stay with the gamekeeper."

They all rolled their eyes at Dumbledore's stupidity.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid yelled.

Harry climbed into a boat with Draco and Daphne while Pansy, Blaise, and Theo snagged another. When a short, round faced boy attempted to join them, their glares scared him away.

Once everyone was situated, the boats moved forward of their own accord. After they moved around a bend, Harry looked up at the castle in awe. His parents' description hadn't given the magical castle justice. It was amazing.

Once the boats reached the dock, they climbed out and ascended a flight of stone steps. Hagrid knocked on the massive door with a large fist. A witch had her hair in a severe bun and wearing black robes stood in the entrance as the door opened.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said. With that, he lumbered inside.

The woman, or Professor McGonagall, led the first years inside and said, "I will be back in a few minutes to lead you into the Great Hall for your sorting. Please take this time to tidy yourselves up."

She disappeared into the Great Hall.

As they waited, Harry heard a boy say, "My brother told me that we would have to wrestle a trolls!"

Harry snorted, while Draco almost collapsed laughing. "You've got to be kidding me," Harry said.

The boy strode over, his red face clashing horribly with his red hair. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'you've got to be kidding me'," Harry said. "They would never let a first year fight a troll."

"How do you know?"

"Because our tutor told us how we'd be sorted. But we promised him we wouldn't tell. It's supposed to be a surprise," Draco said.

Ron huffed and was about to make a retort when Professor McGonagall returned and said, "Please follow me into the Great Hall."

They first years stood behind her as she led them to a set of two large doors. They swung open, and then they walked into a hall filled with older students. There were four tables, as well as a table perpendicular to the others were the teachers sat.

Harry recognized Dumbledore immediately. After all, his trademark hair and beard were impossible to miss.

Then he overheard Hermione saying, "The ceiling's charmed to look like the night sky. I read about it in _Hogwarts, a History._"

Harry looked up and saw that the ceiling reflected the midnight blue sky and the gray clouds outside. Dozens of white candles lit the room. He then looked at Draco and they both rolled their eyes. After all, they had read _Hogwarts, a History _with Remus when they were seven.

The group of first years stopped in front of a small stage to the left of the teachers' table. An old, ragged hat sat perched on top of a wooden stool. Then the hat lifted its brim and began to sing.

_Oh you may not think me pretty,  
>But don't judge on what you see,<br>I'll eat myself if you can find  
>A smarter hat than me.<br>You can keep your bowlers black,  
>Your top hats sleek and tall,<br>For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
>And I can cap them all.<br>There's nothing hidden in your head  
>The Sorting Hat can't see,<br>So try me on and I will tell you  
>Where you ought to be. <em>

Here, Harry raised an eyebrow. After all, he wasn't very keen about letting a magical hat poke around inside his head. Good thing his father had taught him Occulmency last year.

_You might belong in Gryffindor,  
>Where dwell the brave at heart,<br>Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
>Set Gryffindors apart;<br>You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
>Where they are just and loyal,<br>Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
>And unafraid of toil;<br>Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
>if you've a ready mind,<br>Where those of wit and learning,  
>Will always find their kind;<br>Or perhaps in Slytherin  
>You'll make your real friends,<br>Those cunning folks use any means  
>To achieve their ends.<em>

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
>And don't get in a flap!<br>You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
>For I'm a Thinking Cap!<em>

(From _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone_)

The rest of the school applauded wildly at the hat's son, while the first years looked at each other in bewilderment. Once the hall quieted down, Professor McGonagall pulled a scroll out of her pocket and unrolled it. She said, "When I call you name, you will sit down and I will place the Sorting hat on your head. Abbott, Hannah."

A girl with pony pigtails bounced up to the stool and took a seat, and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on the girl's head. A few moments later, the Sorting Hat yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The girl got up and ran to the table clad in yellow and black. The house's ghost, the Fat Friar, waved merrily to her as she took her seat.

"Black, Harrison." As Harry walked up to the stool, he heard the murmurings of other students, but they faded out once Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head.

'Harrison Black. It's nice to meet you. But you do need to lower your shields so I can sort you,' the hat said in Harry's head. 'Don't worry, I keep all of my conversations with students confidential.'

'Very well.' Harry lowered the walls around his mind.

'Well, you're definitely not a Gryffindor, like your birth parents. You have courage, of course, but you're not one to rush blindly into danger. You're not a Hufflepuff either. That leaves Ravenclaw and Slytherin.'

'You know where I belong.'

'You're right, I do,' the hat responded. "SLYTHERIN!"

Harrison stood up confidently and strode over to the table dressed in green and black. The members of Slytherin were clapping rather enthusiastically for their first new member.

Susan Bones followed Hannah to Hufflepuff, and Terry Boot became the first new Ravenclaw. Lavender Brown became the year's first new Gryffindor, and Mandy Brocklehurst and Michael Corner joined Terry in Ravenclaw.

"Dursley, Dudley."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He had heard that name before. His father had told him that his birth mum's sister had married a man named Dursley. So this was his former cousin. Interesting. The boy had blonde hair and freckles, and his robes looked second hand.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Finnegan, Seamus became a Gryffindor as well, and Finch-Fletchley, Justin became a Hufflepuff.

"Granger, Hermione."

The Muggleborn girl walked up to the stool with her chin held high. She sat there for a few moments, and then the hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Greengrass, Daphne."

Harry flashed Daphne a smile just before she ascended the stairs to be sorted. It only took the hat a few moments to decide what house she should be in. "SLYTHERIN!" Daphne jumped off the stool and joined Harry at the Slytherin table.

"Longbottom, Neville." The chubby boy from earlier approached the stool carrying his toad. He sat on the stool for a long while until the hat finally put him in Gryffindor.

Ernie MacMillan went to Hufflepuff and Morag MacDougal went to Ravenclaw.

"Malfoy, Draco."

Draco walked onto the platform with an air of confidence. The hat barely brushed his head before calling out, "SLYTHERIN!" No surprise there.

Draco joined Harry and Daphne at the Slytherin table, and then they continued to watch the sorting. Theo and Pansy joined the three of them in Slytherin.

Padma Patil became a Ravenclaw, and her twin sister Parvati became a Gryffindor. Thomas, Dean became a Gryffindor. Turpin, Lisa became a Ravenclaw.

"Weasley, Ronald."

Like Draco, the hat had barely touched the redhead boy's head before placing him in a house. "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Zabini, Blaise." Blaise walked up to the stool with a haughty expression on her face and sat down. It didn't take long for the hat to proclaim her a Slytherin. She joined her friends in the house of snakes.

"That took forever," Blaise said once she sat down next to Pansy. "But it's no surprise that we're all in Slytherin."

Dumbledore clinked his glass with his spoon, getting all of their attention. "Before we begin the feast, I have a few words to say. Nitwick. Blubber. Oddment. Tweak."

When they all turned back to their plates, the tables were exploding with food. Roast beef, ham, pork chops, roast chicken, lamb, shepherd's pie, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, and sprouts. There were also large pitchers of pumpkin juice.

Harry said to Draco, "My father wasn't kidding. Dumbledore's mad."

"Well no surprise there," Draco responded.

As the students enjoyed their dinner, Dumbledore and his staff were conversing at the head table. "So Minerva, what do you think of this year's group?"

"They seem intelligent, Albus."

"I do have to say that the first year Slytherins bother me a bit," Dumbledore said. "After all, they're all pureblooded. And I must say that I was hoping Harry would be in Gryffindor, or at least Ravenclaw."

"I bet Potter's rolling around in his grave right now, now that his son's become a Slytherin," Snape said spitefully.

"Please don't let your school day rivalries with his birth father interfere with how you teach the boy, Severus," Professor McGonagall admonished him. "He's not James Potter."

As the feast continued, dinner disappeared and desert appeared. Plates stacked with chocolate éclairs, jam doughnuts, and chocolate covered strawberries, as well as bowls filled with ice cream covered the table. There were also apple pies, treacle tarts, and trifle. Harry had to stop himself before he got sick.

Soon, the feast was winding down. Dumbledore clinked his glass again, getting everyone's attention. "Before you head off to bed, I have a few start of term announcements. First of all, the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, forbidden." Here he looked at a pair of redheaded twins seated at the Gryffindor table. "Second of all, a list of banned items is on Mr. Filch's door, in case anyone is interested in looking. Now off to bed. Prefects, if you'll lead the first years to your respective dormitories."

The students rose up, and while the older students pushed their way out of the room, the first years hung back until the heard their prefects calling for them. The Slytherin first years followed their prefects out of the Great Hall and down the stairs to the dungeons.

They walked along a narrow hallway until they reached a slab of stone, lit by a single torch. The female prefect said, "The password for this week is 'cunning'. Don't dare tell anyone from outside of our house what the password is." The slab rotated inwards and moved to the side, revealing a small passageway. They walked along it until they the Slytherin common room.

It was decorated in dark greens, blacks, and silvers. Several candles burned around the low-ceilinged room, and some of the older students watched dispassionately as the first years filed into the room and assembled in front of the flickering fireplace.

"I'm Miranda Hockley, and this is Lyle Gordon. We're your fifth year prefects. We'll help you find your classes for the week, but after that, you're on your own. Come to us or Professor Snape if you have any problems. Now go to bed. Boys are down the hallway to the left, and girls are down the hallway to the right."

The first years departed from the common room. They ascended a small set of stone stairs that led to two hallways. Harry, Draco, and Theo quickly bid goodnight to Daphne, Pansy, and Blaise before continuing down the hallway to their dormitory.

When they entered it, they found three four-poster beds draped with green hangings and made up with green and white sheets. Their trunks and satchels waited for them.

Full and sleepy, they changed into their pajamas, climbed into their beds, and fell asleep. They were finally at Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><strong>Review, please.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Warnings: There's some minor language in this chapter.**

**Shoutouts: Thanks to** Makurayami Ookami**,** phantombrick**,** David Fishwick**,** Kari Suttle**,** Caroline the Poet**,** page693**, and** WyldePhoenix **for reviewing!**

phantombrick - **In answer to your question, Harry is now a Black and no longer a Potter, so he loses what would have been his inheritance. Besides, with the Black fortune, he doesn't need the Potter one. I wanted to make Harry a Black through and through.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**Full and sleepy, they changed into their pajamas, climbed into their beds, and fell asleep. They were finally at Hogwarts.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER THREE<span>

The next morning, Harry woke up early and got dressed. He then sat down on his bed and wrote a quick letter for his parents, which he planned to take to the owlery so Hedwig could deliver it, once he figured out where the owerly was.

Eventually, all of the first years were gathered in the common room, and at five 'til eight, Miranda and Lyle joined them.

"We're going to take you to breakfast. Professor Snape will give you schedules and then we'll take you to your first class. After that, one of us will show up after each of your classes to take you to the next one. Understand?"

They nodded.

"And remember," Miranda added, "once we walk out that door, you're representing Slytherin. Don't do anything that would make the rest of us look idiotic."

They exited the common room and walked to the Great Hall. They were the first students there, but the headmaster, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall were already enjoying their own breakfasts.

The first year Slytherins sat together and began helping themselves to toast, eggs, and bacon. Soon, other students began to file into the room, breaking the peaceful silence. Harry also caught his first glimpse of the ghost for Slytherin house, the Bloody Baron.

Once the majority of Slytherins were seated, Professor Snape left the head table and began handing out schedules. When he reached Harry, he gave him a look of supreme loathing before continuing along his way.

"Father was right," Harry said. "He does hate me."

"It's so petty though," Pansy added. "After all, you didn't do anything to him. It's just a rivalry between him and James Potter, which is sad. After all, it's been over a decade."

"Good thing he's not my godfather anymore," Draco said.

Theo said, "Agreed." Then he lowered his voice. "Apparently, he's been spying for Dumbledore. At least, that's what my father thinks. But the Dark Lord's been lying low for a while now, so there's nothing to really spy on."

It was true. Voldemort had gone temporarily underground, even though he was still recruiting here and there. Whenever he decided to reemerge, he would be a lot stronger than he had been before.

They scanned their schedules and most of them groaned when they realized that all of their classes were with the Gryffindors. On Mondays and Wednesdays, they had Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts in the morning, and Herbology in the afternoon. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they had History of Magic in the morning, and Potions and Charms in the afternoon. Astronomy was on Wednesdays at midnight, and flying lessons would take place on Friday mornings.

At around 8:30, the mail arrived. Dozens of owls swooped into the room, most of them carrying copies of the _Daily Prophet_.

A few minutes before nine o'clock, Miranda and Lyle gathered the first year Slytherins and led them to the Transfiguration classroom on the third floor. "Be careful," Miranda warned them as they walked. "The staircases move."

Once they reached the classroom, Miranda and Lyle departed for their own classes. When the bell rang at exactly nine o'clock, Professor McGonagall arrived at the door, and seemed pleasantly surprised that they were all already present.

"Please go inside and sit down. I will join you momentarily."

They did as she asked. A few minutes later, a tabby cat meandered its way into the room and climbed up onto Professor McGonagall's desk.

By the time the second bell had rung, everyone was present except for Ron and Dudley. The two boys showed up several minutes later, books in hand, ties askew, and robes falling off their shoulders. Both were huffing and puffing.

"Good thing McGonagall's not here," Ron said. "She'd have our hides for being late."

Suddenly, the cat turned into Professor McGonagall, leaving everyone in the class gaping. "Quite correct Mr. Weasley. Perhaps I should transfigure one of you into a pocket watch. Perhaps then you'd be on time for my class."

"Sorry Professor, we got lost."

"Then perhaps a map? Take your seats. And five points from Gryffindor, each, for being late." Harry smirked. He decided that he definitely liked Professor McGonagall. He raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Black?"

"How does one become an Animagus, Professor?"

"Quite an astute observation, Mr. Black. But that's not something you need to learn now. Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn here at Hogwarts. Anyone failing to take this class seriously will find themselves on the train home. Consider yourselves warned."

She then handed out matches to every student and said, "Today you will work on transfiguring matches into needles. You need to see the shape of the needle in your head, then channel that image through your wand to your match. Begin."

Harry took out his wand, looked around the room, and then transformed his match into a needle. Professor McGonagall caught sight of the glint coming from his desk, and stopped the class.

"Excellent job, Mr. Black. Ten points to Slytherin." She showed everyone how his match had become silver and pointy, and then told the remainder of the class to resume their work.

Draco managed to achieve the transformation seconds later, and earned an additional ten points for their house. They then worked on helping their housemates, and by the end of the class, all of the first year Slytherins had at least managed a partial transformation. Hermione was the only Gryffindor to succeed at all.

They then had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Quirrell, which fell way below Harry's standards, especially because he was used to Remus' excellent teaching. Quirrell, a nervous, stuttering teacher, simply gave them an overview of the class before lecturing them on the first chapter of their textbook.

At lunch, they had sandwiches of roast beef and chicken, along with vegetable soup. The Hogwarts house elves were almost as good at cooking as the Black family's elves.

"What do you think of classes so far?" Harry asked Daphne as they enjoyed their lunch.

"Professor McGonagall's a brilliant teacher, but Quirrell's an idiot. I have a feeling we're not going to learn much from him."

After the meal, Lyle brought the six first year Slytherins to the greenhouses for their Herbology lesson. Harry was a little disappointed when Sprout announced that most of their lessons would be lectures that year, but she was still a fascinating teacher.

By the end of the day, Harry was thankful that he didn't have that much homework. Since he had succeeded in Transfiguration that day, he didn't need to work on turning a match into a needle. Quirrell had assigned them to write six inches of parchment on describing the Dark Arts and how to defend against them, something that could easily be achieved by copying his class notes. Professor Sprout had simply asked them to read the first chapter of their textbook and write down any questions they had.

After a scrumptious dinner, Harry approached Miranda and asked, "How do I get to the owlery?"

"Go to the seventh floor and the entrance to the west tower is in the corridor to your left. Just climb the stairs and you'll reach the owlery. Wear something warm, it'll be cold up there. And bring a friend or two in case you get lost."

Harry returned to his friends and relayed Miranda's instructions.

"I'll come with you, I have a letter I have to send to my parents, anyway," Draco said.

They left the Great Hall and went to the dungeons to gather the cloaks, and then they walked up the many sets of stairs to the seventh floor. They found the entrance to the west tower and Harry pulled open the heavy wooden door. They ascended the stone stairs, and soon found themselves being stared at my many pairs of amber eyes.

Harry slipped and slid across the dropping-strewn floor until he found Hedwig. He whistled for her, and when she came down, he tied his letter to her leg and said, "Take this to mother and father."

Draco did the same with his eagle owl. They then returned to the dungeons and did that night's homework before going to bed.

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><p>The next day, they had History of Magic. Harry wasn't excited for this class, especially because of what he had heard from the older students. Harry's expectations were correct. Professor Binns droned on and on about the goblin wars, something that Remus had made far more interesting. Hermione was the only one who took notes.<p>

They were free for the rest of the morning, and after lunch, they had Potions. Harry knew that Draco was looking forward the class, as it would be a chance to aggravate his former godfather. Besides, Draco was an ace at Potions

The first year Slytherins were waiting outside the doorway to their classroom immediately after lunch ended. When Snape arrived, they filed inside, sat on the right side of the classroom, and paired up. Harry and Draco sat together, Pansy sat next to Daphne, and Blaise and Theo sat with each other. The Gryffindors entered the room noisily.

_THUMP._ Snape had dropped a heavy tome onto his desk.

The Gryffindors all jumped and scattered to fill the empty seats, which happed to be on the side of the room opposite the Slytherins.

"Wands away," Snape snapped. "There will be no foolish wand waving in this class. I can teach you how to brew glory, bottle fame, even stopper death. That is, if you're not as dunderheaded as the students I normally have to teach."

Harry almost laughed when he saw that Hermione was practically on the edge of her seat, desperate to prove that she wasn't a dunderhead.

After taking roll, Snape asked with a sneer, "Black, what do I get what when I add powdered asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Draught of the Living Death, sir," Harry answered calmly.

"What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape ignored the fact that Hermione's hand was reaching towards the ceiling and called on Harry again.

"They're the same plant, sir, which goes by the name of aconite."

"And what color should a boil curing potion be?"

"Orange, sir."

"Ten points to Slytherins," Snape snarled out. He then turned to the board, and with a swish of his wand, instructions appeared on the board. "You have until the end of the period. Go."

Harry scanned the directions and instantly recognized the recipe for...a boil curing potion. Of course. Luckily, he had enough of his own ingredients, so he didn't have to worry about beating the rest of the class to the supply cupboard.

He pulled out his notebook and copied the instructions word for word. And then he frowned. Steps three and five had been switched. From what he had heard about Snape, the man didn't make mistakes. So he was trying to trick them.

Harry snorted. Someone was going to be in the hospital wing by the end of class, he was sure of it.

Soon, things settled down and everyone huddled over their cauldrons in silence while Snape swooped around the room and breathed down people's necks.

'No wonder everyone fails Snape's class,' Harry thought. 'Everyone's so bloody nervous.'

Towards the end of class, Harry felt Snape leaning over his shoulder to inspecting his potion, which happened to be the correct shade of orange. But then there was a loud squelching noise, and Harry looked over to the Gryffindor side of the room.

Dudley had managed to melt his cauldron, and it had turned into a twisted blob of pewter. He had jumped out of the way just in time, and had managed to avoid being splashed by the acid green liquid. The people around him stood on their stools until Snape had siphoned up the mess with their wand.

Once he had finished cleaning up, Snape began to berate Dudley.

"Idiot boy! Don't you think before putting things in your cauldron?" He then spun in Ron's direction. "And you! Didn't you think to tell him not to put in the porcupine quills until he took the cauldron off the fire? Thought it would make you look good, didn't you?"

"I d-d-didn't do anything," Ron managed to stutter out.

"Draco threw something into Dudley's cauldron," Hermione added. "It's not his fault."

Harry surreptitiously glanced at his best friend. Sure enough, a sly grin was forming on Draco's face.

"I didn't do anything, I was too busy focusing on my own potion," Draco said, taking on an innocent look. "Harry, you didn't see anything, did you?"

"No, you were just working on your potion," Harry said, playing along.

The other first year Slytherins chimed in, and all of them declared that Draco was innocent of any wrongdoing.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor," Snape said. "Put you finished potions in vials on my desk, clean up your stations, and get out of my sight."

The room was a flurry of activity as the first years tried to leave as quickly as possible.

From Potions, they went to Charms with Professor Flitwick. The warm classroom was a welcome change from the dank dungeon, and the cheery attitude of their teacher was an added bonus.

When they entered the room, Flitwick was standing on a stack of books behind his desk. After he called the roll, he announced the lesson for the day. "Today, you're going to learn how to cast a levitation charm."

Harry wanted to laugh. He had learned that charm over a year ago. This would be easier than McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson.

"The incantation is 'wingardium leviosa'. Everyone, say it with me." The class repeated it with him several times. "Now, the wand movement is a swish and a flick. Pick up your wands and try it." Once the class managed to perform the wand movement somewhat accurately, Flitwick passed fluffy, white feathers around the room. "Start practicing."

Harry swished his wand as his feather using the abbreviated version of the wand movement he had learned from Remus. His feather, soon floated high above the heads of everyone in the room, and Flitwick almost toppled off his tower of books in delight.

"Excellent, excellent! Look everyone, Mr. Black's done it."

Harry felt someone staring at him, so he turned around and locked eyes with none other than Hermione Granger, who was glaring at him with poorly disguised envy.

After class, Harry and his friends headed outside to the courtyard. Then they heard Hermione yelling from behind them, "Harry! Wait up."

"Gosh, she really has no manners," Pansy said with a sneer.

But they still stopped and waited for Hermione to catch up. "How did you know the charm in class today?" Hermione asked once she caught her breath.

"It's called a tutor," Draco said.

"Really? Does everyone have a tutor before going to Hogwarts?"

"The people who matter do," Blaise said. She, Daphne, and Pansy then flounced off. The boys followed shortly behind them.

* * *

><p>The week progressed, and soon most of the first years were somewhat settled into life at Hogwarts. Harry found their Wednesday night Astronomy class interesting, mainly because Professor Sinistra was an excellent teacher who knew her stuff. Finally, it was Friday and the day of their first flying lesson. Well, it was a first flying lesson for Muggleborns. After all, Harry and Draco had been flying forever. What made the day better is that Harry received a letter from his parents, and Draco had received a care package full of sweets from his mother.<p>

Harry's letter read:

_Hello Harry,_

_We're quite pleased to hear that you've been sorted into Slytherin. We expected nothing less. We both hope that you're enjoying your classes and making plenty of friends. Work hard, and please try not to get in trouble._

_Love,_

_Your Mother and Father_

For their flying lesson, first year Slytherins were out on the lawn first, therefore, they found the best brooms and stood next to them. Harry looked at the broom on the ground in distaste. This was the best Hogwarts could afford? The Gryffindors arrived a few minutes before the lesson was due to start, and Madam Hooch arrived right on time.

Hooch gave a short blast on her whistle to get their attention. "Well, what are you waiting for? Stick your hand out to the side and say 'up'."

Harry rolled his eyes in Draco's direction, but obliged their teacher. The broom shot into his hand, and he grinned at the familiar feeling. Draco's broom was in his hand as well. It took their other friends a couple of tries each to get their brooms to jump upwards.

Harry had a good laugh when Ron's broom smacked him in the face on the way up, and he laughed again when he noticed that it was something Hermione couldn't do. Her broom simply rolled over on the ground, apparently refusing to go anywhere near the girl. Eventually, Hooch just told her to pick it up.

"Now," Hooch said. "Mount your brooms. Careful now, you don't want to slide off the back." Everyone mounted his or her broom and then Hooch went around checking everyone's grip. She gave both Draco and Harry nods of approval. "Okay then. On the count of three, everyone push off, gently mind you, and hover for a few seconds. To return to the ground, just lean forward a bit. One...two...three!"

Harry did as he was told, but by glancing at the Gryffindors, it was evident that Neville had kicked off far too hard. His broom seemed to sense his fear, and took the boy on a wild ride that resulting in them crashing into a wall.

"Everyone, on the ground, now!" Hooch commanded. She hurried over to Neville, who was whimpering and holding his arm. "Oh, dear, a broken wrist. Don't worry, Madam Pomfrey will get you fixed up quick enough." She then turned to the remainder of the class. "If any off you leaves the ground, you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch."

"Hey everyone, look what Longbottom dropped," Theo said, swaggering over to a spot of grass. He picked up a clear orb from the ground. "It's a Remembrall. I didn't know he had one."

"Hey, give it back!" Ron said. "He just got it this morning."

"Really?" Blaise said looking at the object in question curiously. "It's pretty rare. It would be a shame if anything happened to it."

"Agreed," Pansy said. "It would be such a shame."

"Come on," Hermione insisted, "just give it back. It's not yours anyway."

Theo snorted. "So, what can you do about it?"

Hermione pulled out her wand, and Ron and Dudley quickly copied her actions.

"Watch where you point that Granger," Daphne said. "You might take someone's eye out."

"I can do magic just as well as you can."

Harry spoke up. "Hey Theo, pass it here." Theo obliged and passed the Remembrall to Harry. "Cool. Longbottom's probably forgetful if he needs one of these, though. He'll probably forget that he even has this."

"We should leave it somewhere for him to find. How about in a tree?" Draco suggested.

"Don't you dare," Hermione said.

"Why not?" Draco challenged.

"'Cause she said so," Dudley said.

"You really shouldn't talk," Harry said. "It makes it quite clear that you're not on the same intellectual level as others."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"Maybe."

Dudley's response was to punch Harry in the face. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall walked outside just in time to see the result. Blood streamed from Harry's nose, and his eyes had already begun to bruise spectacularly.

"MR. DURLSEY!" The boy paled when he heard his head of house's voice. Once Professor McGonagall approached the group of first years, she said, "Never in all my years...I was coming to tell you that you're dismissed from class. Mr. Dursley, come with me, we're going to have a chat with the headmaster. Mr. Malfoy, please take Mr. Black to the hospital wing so he can get fixed up."

"Yes, Professor."

Although she had addressed Draco, all of the other first year Slytherins formed a protective circle around Harry as they headed inside. When they reached the hospital wing on the first floor, Madame Pomfrey gasped. "What happened, Mr. Black? Mr. Longbottom, you're free to leave. Just be careful from now on."

The other boy nodded and glanced inquiringly at Harry as he left.

"Sit down, Mr. Black," Madam Pomfrey said. "Let me take a look." Harry sat down on a free bed and removed his bloody hands away from his face. "It could be worse, dear. I'll have you fixed up in a jiffy. What happened?"

"Dursley punched him in the face."

"How awful. Now, this may hurt a bit." She tapped his nose with her wand and muttered a spell, and the broken bones slid and snapped back into place. One potion later and the black eyes were gone. And then the nurse tidied up his face and his clothes with a few quick cleaning charms. "How do you feel?"

"Much better," Harry said, allowing a grateful smile to easily slide across his face. "Thank you, Madame Pomfrey."

"You're welcome. Now run along, it's a nice day, after all."

When they left the hospital wing, Pansy turned to Harry and said, "You can't let that idiot get away with what he did. You're the heir of the Noble and Ancient House of Black, for Merlin's sake."

"Everyone already knows that my family's not one to be messed with," Harry said.

"Well some people clearly don't," Theo said. "You sure you're alright?"

Harry waved him off. "I'm fine. Want to go get our books and head to the library? The sooner we finish our homework for the weekend, the more free time we'll have."

His friends nodded, so they first went to the dungeons, and then to the library to study.

But by lunchtime, the whole school had heard about what had transpired during the first years' flying lesson. Unfortunately, Dudley was present at lunch, but it looked as if the entirety of Gryffindor, except for Hermione, Ron, and Seamus, had shunned him.

"Are you alright?" Miranda asked Harry the moment he reached the Slytherin table.

"Never been better. Madam Pomfrey treated me a matter of minutes."

"I heard there was a lot of blood," Lyle said.

Harry shrugged. "It was worse than it looked. As I said, I'm fine. Now let's just hope my father doesn't hear about this. He'll be furious."

"He probably already has," Miranda said. "Dursley got a couple of detentions and lost thirty points for Gryffindor. Absolutely ridiculous. But according to the Hogwarts charter, whenever a student is physically attacked, their parents have the right to be informed of their child's injuries, the identity of their assailant, and whatever punishment was handed out."

"So my father will be heard in a matter of minutes."

"Correct."

Sure enough, Harry's guess was correct. Halfway through lunch, his father came sweeping into the Great Hall. "Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore sat up in his chair. "Can I help you, Lord Black?"

"You know very well what I want to talk about with you."

"Very well. Maybe this conversation would be best continued in my office."

Harry left the Great Hall with his father and walked with him to Dumbledore's office on the seventh floor. Professor McGonagall and Draco joined them as witnesses.

"So you're telling me that this boy punched my son and heir in the face, and walked away with a slap on the wrist?"

"He got several detentions, and he lost points for his house."

"And you think that that's a suitable punishment, Dumbledore?" Regulus snapped. "Hogwarts is certainly going downhill."

"Please, Regulus, let's be reasonable," Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly voice. "The boy has already expressed remorse for his actions."

"Remorse my arse," Harry heard Draco mutter.

"Very well, but if something like this happens again, I assure you, Harry will no longer attend this school." With that, Regulus bid his son goodbye and left Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><strong>Review, please.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Warnings: There's some language in this chapter.**

**Shoutouts: Thanks to **Kay**, **Caroline the Poet**, **Maleivius**, **ImmortalAngel92**, and **Niotpoda **for reviewing!**

ImmortalAngel92 **- In answer to your first question, Blaise is a girl because I wanted to even out the numbers for the Slytherin first years. Also, I think in this fic, she works better as a girl - haughty, a bit spoiled, and a bit nasty. To answer your second question, Dudley's brave because he managed to withstand his parents hatred of magic, since he himself is magical (Sprout mentions that the Dursley's hate magic during the staff meeting).**

phantombrick** - Thanks for pointing out my mistake, I fixed it.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**"Very well, but if something like this happens again, I assure you, Harry will no longer attend this school." With that, Regulus bid his son goodbye and left Hogwarts.**

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><p><span>CHAPTER FOUR<span>

Life at Hogwarts progressed normally until Halloween. Harry knew that Voldemort had attacked his birth parents and godfather on Halloween, but he didn't really care anymore. Besides, at the feast, the house tables were covered in sweets and pastries. What eleven-year-old boy wouldn't love that?

When Harry actually reached the table, he saw that Blaise and Pansy had their heads together, which usually meant that they were gossiping about something someone had done.

He asked, "What's happened now?"

"Hermione's been in the girls' lavatory since what happened after Charms," Pansy said.

"Oh." Harry remembered the incident distinctly. Ron had called Hermione along the lines of 'a nosey, know-it-all, bookworm'. Clearly, the girl had taken what he had said to heart.

"Can we just enjoy the feast?" Draco asked, helping himself to a piece of pumpkin pie. They all agreed, and began reaching for the treats that littered the table.

And then Quirrell staggered into the room, covered in blood. "T-t-troll! T-t-troll in the castle!" He then collapsed to the floor.

The Great Hall was silent for a moment, and then the screams of the students occupying it filled the cavernous space.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled over the chaos. Once everyone quieted down, he continued. "Everyone, sit down. Prefects take count of everyone in your houses and make sure no one's missing. Heads of house, come with me, the other teachers stay here and supervise."

Dumbledore then led Flitwick, Sprout, Snape, and McGonagall out of the hall and then the sturdy wooden doors slammed shut.

Blaise whispered, "How on earth could a troll have gotten into the castle?"

"I don't know," Draco whispered back. "They're supposed to be really stupid, but I've heard that there are some in the Forbidden Forest."

"Wait," Pansy said, "Hermione's not here. She's in the lavatory, remember?"

"Pansy, look at the doors, there's no way she can get in, and there's no way we can get out to help her," Theo pointed out. "Percy Weasley will probably notice she's missing in a minute. Look, he's telling Sinistra right now."

Sure enough, Madam Pomfrey stood up a few seconds after Percy, who was one of Gryffindor's fifth year prefects, whispered something in her ear. "Has anyone seen Hermione Granger?"

There was murmuring through the hall, until Pansy finally stood up. "She was in the girls' lavatory on the third floor before dinner." She glanced surreptitiously at Ron as she spoke.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson. Anyone else?"

No one answered.

They sat in the Great Hall in silence for over a half hour. No one touched the food on the table. And then the doors of the hall creaked open, and Dumbledore walked in.

"The troll's dead," the headmaster announced wearily. "And Miss Hermione Granger is critically injured, but alive. Prefects, if you will escort your housemates back to your common rooms. Food will be sent up."

The hall was quiet as students shuffled out.

* * *

><p>Luckily, good news arrived three days later, via the front page of the <em>Daily Prophet<em>.

_HOGWARTS STUDENT SURVIVES TROLL ATTACK_

_A troll attacked Miss Hermione Granger, a first year Muggleborn student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, on Halloween night. No one knows how the troll managed to enter the school, but all facts indicate that it came from the Forbidden Forest. Hogwarts Professors McGongall and Flitwick managed to kill the beast before it could injure Miss Granger further._

_Thankfully, we at the Daily Prophet have received good news from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and we are happy to report that Miss Granger will survive. Hopefully, she will be able to return to her classes in two weeks or less._

_But of course, this latest incident calls into question the ability of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore to take care of and protect the students of Hogwarts._

"Oh, good, she's okay," Pansy said.

"And here I was thinking that you didn't like her very much," Harry joked.

"Shut up, Harry. She may be obnoxious, but that doesn't mean that I want her _dead_."

As breakfast ended, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement. "As I'm sure all of you have read in the _Daily Prophet_, Miss Granger will be fine, and she will be returning to Hogwarts as soon as her health allows."

Harry couldn't help but grin whenever he saw Ron's contrite face, as the red head was the one who had caused Hermione to be in the lavatory in the first place.

When Hermione returned, she was back to her normal, bookworm self, and any shreds of pity that Harry may have had for her evaporated.

* * *

><p>Finally, the beginning of Quidditch season rolled around. The first match was between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and the animosity between the two houses reached a fever pitch in the days before the match, with jinxes and hexes flying through the hallways.<p>

On the day of the match, they all dressed in silver and green. Donning scarves, gloves, hats, and earmuffs to keep warm, they left the castle and trudged out on the grounds to the Quidditch pitch and found room to stand in the Slytherin cheering section.

"And here comes Gryffindor!" Jordan Lee, the commentator for the game shouted. "Wood, Johnson, Spinnet, Bell, Weasley, Weasley, and Coot!"

The Gryffindor Quidditch team flew out and circled around the pitch, their scarlet robes streaming behind them.

"And here's Slytherin. Vaisey, Flint, Montague, Warrington, Bole, Derrick, and Higgs!"

The Slytherin team also flew a lap around the pitch before settling into position.

"Now I want a nice, clean game. From all of you," Harry could hear Madam Hooch say. She looked particularly at Marcus Flint, Slytherin's captain, as she spoke. Flint and Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's captain, shook hands.

Madam Hooch then released the snitch and bludgers. Then with a tweet of her whistle, the players mounted their brooms, she threw the quaffle into the air, and the game began.

The game was fast-paced and brutal, but it was clear the Slytherin players were better than the ones from Gryffindor, even if the difference was by slight margin.

The score went back and forth, but then Jordan yelled out. "Look over there!" Heads swiveled towards the far end of the pitch. "Higgs and Coot have spotted the snitch! They're neck in neck..."

And then the gold and scarlet clad members of the crowd groaned in dismay. Higgs had managed to reach out a snatch the snitch from in front of Ritchie Coot.

"Slytherin wins, 190 to 40," Jordan said dejectedly while the supporters dressed in green and silver cheered loudly for their team.

That night, Harry got his first real taste of how much the students of Hogwarts loved Quidditch, especially when their team won, even though the older students sent anyone under the age of fourteen to their dormitories once the butterbeer was put away and the Firewhiskey came out.

* * *

><p>Harry was having the time of his life at Hogwarts, and he was actually a little sad to be going home at the start of the Christmas holidays. Snape had gone around with a sheet and they had to write whether or not they would be staying at Hogwarts over the break.<p>

Pansy, of course, stayed on top of the Hogwarts rumor mill. "Apparently the Weasleys are stuck here," she said authoritatively. "Their parents chose visiting their brother Charlie over the holidays, and it's too expensive for them all to go. And Dursley's staying too."

"Why?"

"I heard that his parents hate magic," Daphne said. "They practically disowned him when he got his letter, but McGonagall forced them to let him come."

"That explains the second hand robes," Blaise added.

"I hate second hand robes," Pansy said. "They're just so...unfortunate." Pansy's mother happened to a wizarding-world renowned fashion designer, so Pansy's views on fashion tended to reflect her mother's.

* * *

><p>The following morning, they all boarded the Hogwarts Express. They slept most of the way, and then reached London around dinnertime.<p>

Harry was ecstatic to see his parents, even though he tried to hide it.

"Harry, I'm so happy to see you," his mother said as she enveloped him in her arms.

"How are you doing?" his father asked after calling a house elf to take Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage home.

"Great, father."

"Good. Let's go home." They left King's Cross, then side along apparated home to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Dinner was warm and waiting from them on the table. Hogwarts food may be good, but nothing was better than a dinner at home with his parents.

* * *

><p>Harry spent his vacation doing some homework, studying with Remus, flying with Draco, and buying gifts for all of his friends. He decided on books, since they were usually appropriate gifts. He got Draco a book on potions, Daphne a book on Charms, Pansy a book on the history of wizarding fashion, Theo a book on chess strategy.<p>

For his parents and Draco's, he managed to sneak into Twilfit and Tatting's and get them matching, monogrammed handkerchiefs.

Finally, Christmas arrived.

Harry woke up at exactly 5:03 a.m., but had to wait until seven o'clock, as that was what his mother had deemed a "civilized hour". When chiming of the large grandfather clock boomed through the house seven times, Harry rushed to his parents' room.

"Mother, father, happy Christmas!"

His father woke up first. "Why don't you go downstairs? We'll be there shortly."

"Okay." In honor of the special occasion, Harry slid down the polished banisters to the first floor. He called a house elf to request a mug of hot chocolate, and then sat down in a chair and waited for his parents to arrive.

They arrived downstairs five minutes later, and his mother said, "Alright, Harry. Go ahead and open your presents."

Harry reached under the tree and pulled a gift from his parents. He pulled the silver paper away to a reveal an elegantly carved mahogany box. Inside of the box was a golden snitch, with his name finely engraved on it.

"Hopefully, you'll make the Slytherin team next year," his father said.

"Thank you."

Draco had sent him a book on Potions, Theo had sent him a book on Transfiguration, Daphne had gotten him a book on Quidditch, and Pansy had sent him her mother's newest catalog. Seems like he wasn't the only one to think books were a safe bet.

And then there was a gift wrapped in thin, crinkly paper, tied with a long piece of twine. It was a cloak. As Harry pulled the fabric out of the wrappings, a note fell to the floor.

_Harry,_

_This was in my possession the night your birth father died. Now it's time that I pass it on to you. Use it well._

The note wasn't signed.

"That meddling old coot," Harry heard his father mutter.

He asked, "Dumbledore?"

Regulus nodded. "Sirius let it slip once or twice that James had some kind of special cloak. No wonder they almost never caught playing pranks while at Hogwarts; with an invisibility cloak like that, they could have gotten away with anything. I'll put it in the family vault the next time we're in Diagon Alley."

"Why can't I bring it to school?" Harry asked.

"You're a Slytherin," his mother reminded him. "You don't need a cloak to sneak around."

With the matter of the invisibility cloak settled, they went to the kitchen for a hearty breakfast. After they finished eating, they had house elves clean up the mess in the living room and take their new treasures upstairs.

Then they sat back and enjoyed the rest of Christmas Day. That night, they put on dress robes and went to the Malfoys' annual Christmas dinner. Almost thirty people were there, and the table had to be magically expanded to fit everyone. At the end of night, everyone went to home his or her nice arm bed.

It had been a wonderful Christmas.

* * *

><p>After New Year's, it was time for students to return to Hogwarts. It was if they hadn't left. The day after they returned, they had Transfiguration. This time, they were learning about switching spells, something that Remus had taught Harry about over the holidays.<p>

As they were working, Harry heard Ron whisper to Dudley, "Maybe we can get Hermione to help us search the library. There has to be a book on dragons somewhere in there."

Harry's ears perked up. Dragons? What on earth were those two up to?

After Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts ended, Harry relayed what he had heard to his friends over lunch.

"Why do they need to know about dragons?" Pansy asked.

"That's what I thought," Harry said.

Theo said, "They're probably about to do something incredibly stupid, since dragons aren't on the curriculum until sixth year Care of Magical Creatures."

"Let's follow them," Blaise suggested. "We can take turns and figure out what they're doing. We should be fine as long as they don't catch us."

"I'm in," Draco said.

Eventually, they all agreed, and then they set up a rotation for following Ron and Dudley's movements outside of classes. Draco would follow them on Mondays, Pansy on Tuesdays, Theo on Wednesdays, Daphne on Thursdays, and Harry on Fridays. Blaise follow them Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons, and Draco would follow the duo on Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings.

Their monitoring didn't reveal many results until Draco rushed into the dormitory just before curfew on Saturday night. The group casually left the common room one by one and assembled in the boys' first-year dormitory.

Draco exclaimed, "The oaf's trying to hatch a bloody dragon egg!"

"What?"

"Hagrid has a bloody dragon egg in his bloody hut and he's trying to hatch it. Weasley, Dursley, and Granger were there, so I'm guessing the half-breed let them in on his secret. They had even brought the idiot a book from the library."

"Did they see you?" Theo asked. After all, their efforts would be in vain if the trio had managed to spot Draco's trademark hair.

"No. I was looking through a window, and then ran straight back here once I saw what they were doing. I think it's supposed to hatch soon."

Theo let out a string of curses that no mother would appreciate. "Does he not realize that having a dragon in a _wooden _hut is a bad idea?"

"Who can we tell..." Daphne said, thinking aloud. "We can't go to any of the professors, or they'll wonder how we found out."

Harry added, "And even if we did report it, Dumbledore would find a way to cover everything up."

"We need a plan," Pansy said.

* * *

><p>They're plan dropped into their laps two days later, or more literally, into Theo's hand. The tall boy was nearly bouncing for joy when he walked into the hall for dinner.<p>

"Look what Weasley dropped in the corridor." It was a folded piece of parchment that had writing on it. Harry recognized Ron's from class.

Blaise asked, "What does it say?"

Theodore unfolded the parchment. The hastily scrawled message read:

_Ron-_

_I'll come. Astronomy tower. Midnight on Friday._

_- Charlie_

They all looked it each. It was Friday.

After dinner, they went back to their dormitory and did their homework in full view of everyone else in the common room. They then went to their rooms. At around eleven thirty, the group of six first years left the Slytherin dormitory and clung to the shadows as they left the dungeons and went to the ground floor.

Luckily, the door leading to the base of Astronomy tower opened silently, and the portrait across from the entrance stayed asleep and unaware.

They climbed the stone stairs to the top of the tower, which gave them a spectacular view of Hogwarts. But they weren't there to admire the picturesque scenery of the grounds at night. They moved into the shadows and waited for Ron, Dudley, and Hermione to show up.

The trio appeared at the top of the stairs, struggling to carry a wooden crate. Wisps of smoke curled up from the inside. That was no dragon egg. The dragon had hatched.

Soon, a red haired man, no doubt Ron's brother Charlie, along with three other men, arrived at the tower on brooms.

"Hey, Ron. Let's get to it." He and one of the other men got off their brooms and lifted the crate containing the small dragon. "What kind is it?"

"Norwegian Ridge-something," Dudley said.

"Oh, a Norwegian Ridgeback. That's great, since we don't have that many at the preserve." He and the other man lashed the crate to ends of two of the brooms, and then they were ready to leave.

The four dragon handlers were about to kick off when a voice said, "Not so fast there." It was Filch. Harry and his friends pressed themselves harder against the walls of their hiding places, hoping that Mrs. Norris' lamp-like eye didn't land on them. "The headmaster will be hearing about this!"

Charlie and his colleagues ignored the bitter caretaker's words and flew away from the tower with the baby dragon in tow.

Since the adults had left, Filch turned his attention to the three pale first years. "What do you have to say for yourselves, eh? Students wandering about the castle at all hours of the night. We'll be going and having a talk with Dumbledore. You won't be getting off the hook, believe me."

Draco chose that moment to leave his hiding place.

"Another one!" Filch said gleefully. "You come with me, we have a headmaster to see."

Filch marched the four first-years to the seventh floor. The gargoyle jumped aside and the stairs rotated upwards to the entrance to Dumbledore's office."

Dumbledore was there, as well as Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. "And why were the four of you out of bed tonight? It is quite late, after all," Dumbledore said.

The three Gryffindor's didn't answer, but Draco said, "They were meeting up with Weasley's brother to hand off a baby dragon."

Hermione's eyes grew, but Ron quickly said, "We didn't have a dragon."

"Oh really? Then what was the egg I saw in Hagrid's hut, Weasley?"

Ron couldn't find the words to respond.

Dumbledore asked Draco, "What were you doing at the Astronomy Tower at this time of night, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I sleepwalk sometimes when I'm stressed. Professor Snape can tell you that."

Dumbledore turned to Snape with an expectant look.

"Yes, Draco tends to sleepwalk when he's under stress," Snape said stiffly. "It used to happen when he was young, but his parents told me to watch out for it while he was at Hogwarts."

"And if you allegations are true Mr. Malfoy, why didn't you tell anyone about the egg when you first saw it?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Draco looked down and pretended to look positively contrite. "I was going to go to you Processor, since they're in your house, but I didn't think that anyone would believe me."

Snape could barely stop himself from sneering. Draco was a Slytherin for a reason. He was an excellent actor and used his skills to manipulate people into doing anything he wanted.

"I assure you Mr. Malfoy that I take you claim of my charges' wrongdoing very seriously," Professor McGonagall said. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Dursley, Miss Granger, do you have anything to say for yourselves?"

The three of them didn't respond, and instead chose to look at their feet. Then Hermione blurted, "Hagrid wouldn't have been able to take care of it! We had to help him!"

Dumbledore asked, "When did the egg hatch?"

"Two days ago," Hermione said. "Ron got his brother Charlie to agree to take it."

"And where is Charlie now?"

"With the dragon, on the way back to the preserve in Romania," Ron said.

Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh. "Mr. Malfoy, you're not in any trouble, therefore, you're free to leave. Fifty points to Slytherin for being honest."

Draco managed to keep a straight face as he nodded to the headmaster and bid goodnight to his professors, but by the time he got back to his dormitory, he was grinning.

His friends had managed to get back without running into Filch or Mrs. Norris, and therefore were anticipating his return.

"Draco, are you mad?" Pansy asked. "What happened?"

"I told Dumbledore anything and got off the hook by telling him that I was there because I was sleepwalking. Snape even confirmed it."

Harry looked at his friend. "We all know you haven't sleepwalked in over a year. I'm guessing Snape didn't know that?"

"Nope. He had no choice but to agree with me. And Dumbledore even awarded me points for telling him everything."

"Brilliant. What about the other three?"

Draco shrugged. "They're still in Dumbledore's office. I'm guessing they're in a lot of trouble."

Sure enough, in the headmaster's office, Professor McGonagall had called the three students' parents, who were now assembled near the fireplace. Molly and Arthur Weasley both looked worried, as the only time parents were called to Hogwarts was if their child was in a serious amount trouble. Dan and Emma Granger looked confused and a little uncomfortable, while Vernon and Petunia Dursley looked nearly apoplectic about all of the magic that surrounded them.

"I had you called here because you children were caught outside of Gryffindor Tower after curfew," Dumbledore explained. "But they were also caught doing something dangerous by another student."

"What were they doing? And who caught them?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I can't tell you that, Arthur. But they had a dragon in their possession. A two-day-old hatchling to be precise. They handed it off to your son Charlie to take to the Romanian Dragon Preserve and Sanctuary. They're not in any legal trouble, but they broke a lot of school rules tonight."

Mr. Weasley asked another question. "Where'd the dragon come from?"

"I can't tell you that. Since no one was injured, I'm going to let the perpetrator off with a warning. You know them, though. They're someone who is found of rather...unusual pets."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's eyes brightened with understanding.

However, no one noticed that Mr. Dursley was progressively turning darker and darker shades of puce. The man finally a exploded, to the surprise of all of those in the room. "WHAT'S THIS BUSINESS OF A DRAGON? THEY DON'T EXIST! AND THAT THE HELL'S A GRYFFINDOR? AND MEN DON'T FLY ON BROOMS!"

"Mr. Dursley, please calm down," Professor McGonagall said to him in a harsh tone. "Dragons do exist. Gryffindor is one of the four houses of Hogwarts, and your son belongs to this house. And in our world, people do fly on broomsticks."

Mr. Dursley was shocked into silence.

"What will their punishment be?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Since no one was hurt, I will not suspend or expel them," Dumbledore said. "But I will have no choice but to give them two weeks' worth of detention, as well as take away fifty points from Gryffindor. Each. Now, Professor McGonagall, please escort Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Dursley back to Gryffindor Tower. I'll take their parents home."

* * *

><p>By breakfast the next day, everyone had noticed Gryffindor's severe drop in points, and Harry and Draco high-fived about it over the breakfast table.<p>

However, all of the first years could see Snape glaring at them from the staff table.

"He's just angry that you got off scot free," Daphne told Draco.

"He probably has a hunch that we were all there, though," Harry said. "He hates the fact that we got away with it."

"Well that's his problem," Pansy said.

Theo asked, "What do you want to do, since its Saturday? We finished all of our homework, after all."

"I'd say torment the Gryffindors, but it looks like they've had enough for a few days," Draco said. "I wish I had my broom so we could go flying. I'm not going anywhere near those school brooms."

Blaise said, "I'd rather keep both feet on solid ground."

"What do you want to do?" Draco asked.

"I was thinking that we could go play exploding snap in the common room," she suggested.

"Sounds good," Harry responded.

After they finished eating, the six of them left the Great Hall and headed towards the Slytherin common room in order to get the cards the game. However, before they reached the stairs that led to the dungeons, they bumped into a pair of scheming, red headed twins.

The first thing out of Draco's mouth was, "You're Weasleys."

"Correct, Malfoy," the twins said with narrowed eyes. "What do you want?"

"You're in our way," Pansy pointed out. "And what are you doing with those dung bombs?"

One of the twins said, "That's none of your business."

"Well, we could report you to Filch," Harry pointed out.

"No!" one twin exclaimed.

"You wouldn't!" said the other.

"Try me," Harry said.

"Fine." The twins looked at each other as if they were having a mental conversation. Eventually, one of them said, "What do you want?"

Harry knew what all of his friends wanted to know. "What's Ron's biggest fear?"

The twins seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, they had been expected the Slytherins to ask for far worse.

"That's easy," one of the twins said. "Spiders."

The first year Slytherins looked at each other in amusement. This would be fun.

* * *

><p>Although the Slytherin Quidditch team had had a good start to their season with their win against Gryffindor, things began to slide downhill after they lost to a Ravenclaw team.<p>

By the Easter holidays, it became clear that Slytherin's run of winning the Quidditch Cup would be coming to an end, causing Marcus Flint, a fourth year and the captain of the team, to be even more aggressive than normal.

The day before they were all due to leave, Flint stormed into the common room and bellowed, "Next year, anyone who can hold a bloody fucking broomstick in their hand better be at tryouts!"

Harry and Draco looked at each other. This was their chance. After all, if first years were allowed to bring brooms, they would have tried out for the team this year. The only disadvantage they had was that the older students were bigger and stronger.

But Harry and Draco were willing to face the challenge.

* * *

><p>Harry, Draco, and Theo were the main plotters when it came to finding a way to scare Ron with spiders. The plan became to put spiders in his bed, although they couldn't figure out how to find the spiders to slip underneath his sheets.<p>

Harry figured it out once he went home over the Easter holidays. It was simple enough to summon Dippy, have her collect spiders in the back garden, and place them in a jar. Then he could just dump the jar into Ron's bed and enjoyed his frightened face the following morning.

Now, how to get into Gryffindor Tower?

The answer dropped into Harry's lap when Pansy flounced into the compartment on the train ride back to Hogwarts after the Easter holidays.

"Look what I found," she said in a singsong voice, waving a small piece of parchment around. "Longbottom dropped this in the corridor. He didn't even notice when it fell out of his back pocket."

She passed the parchment to Draco, who passed it to Harry. It was a weekly list of the passwords to Gryffindor Tower, going all the way until two weeks after the Easter holidays.

"Bloody hell," Draco said, looking over Harry's shoulder.

"Too bad Neville no longer has that Remembrall of his," Harry said. "He would know that he forgot his list of passwords. The compartment of students laughed. This was going to be good.

The boys decided that Harry would be the one to do the deed, while Theo kept watch near the entrance to the tower, and Draco would keep watch outside of the dorm. They knew that they couldn't act on the first night back, since people would notice if they weren't at the feast. Ultimately, they decided to follow through with their plan at the end of May, a week before exams were supposed to start.

* * *

><p>Tonight was the night.<p>

Harry, Theo, and Draco, dressed in their nightclothes and dressing robes, managed to sneak up to the seventh floor. Using the list of passwords Neville had so graciously supplied, Harry and Draco entered the common room through the hole guarded by a half-asleep painting of a fat lady, while Theo stayed outside.

Draco stood guard in the common room while Harry walked up the stairs, carefully holding the jar of spiders. He found the first year boys' dormitory, slipped inside, and found Ron's bed, marked by a battered trunk with the initials 'R.W.' He screwed off the lid of the jar and dumped the several dozen spiders that Dippy had managed to collect all over Ron.

And then he made his escape, looking forward to hearing Ron's screams echoing through the castle. Thick as thieves, harry, Draco, and Theo chuckled to themselves as they returned to their dormitory.

But as they reached the dungeons, a form emerged from the shadows and said, "And what are you three doing out of bed?"

It was Snape, who still held the title of Harry's least favorite professor, even if the man did favor Slytherin.

"We got lost going trying to find the kitchens," Theo said, lying through his teeth.

Snape sneered. "And why were you going there?"

"We were hungry," Harry said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well go back to bed," Snape snapped. "I'll deal with you three in the morning."

They all nodded and hurried back to their room, where they all burst into fits of laughing. Even though Snape had caught them, it had been more than worth it.

The following morning at breakfast, it was even more worth it when they saw Ron's teary eyes and shaking hands. Harry, Theo, and Draco took one look at him and began to laugh.

Daphne simply rolled her eyes before saying exasperatedly, "Boys."

Pansy and Blaise nodded in agreement.

But the boys' laughter had caused a now red Ron to storm over to their table with Dudley close behind. "It was you!" Ron exclaimed, stopping in front of Harry.

Harry and his friends instantly sobered up. "I have no clue what you're talking about," Harry said.

"Yes you do," Dudley said. "You put spiders in our room last night!"

"Really? Draco, Theo, I were looking for the famed Hogwarts kitchens last night. You can ask Professor Snape, Weasley; we were nowhere near Gryffindor Tower."

"That's a load of bull crap," Ron said.

Dudley simply raised his fist, as if threatening to strike Harry in a way similar to what he had done at the beginning of the year during the first flying lesson.

Snape swept down from the staff table, looking very bat-like with his robes billowing. Professor McGonagall followed closely behind.

"Actually, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Black is telling the truth," Snape said. "That said, detention tonight for both you and Mr. Dursley for threatening Mr. Black and lying." Harry forced himself to hide a smirk. But Snape hadn't finished. "And Mr. Black, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Nott, you will join them in detention tonight for being out of bed last night."

Harry knew that protesting the punishment would only cause Snape to begin deducting points, just to spite him.

"Who will the detention be with?" Theo asked calmly.

Snape thought for a moment, and then sneered. "Hagrid."

* * *

><p>At ten o'clock at night, an hour after curfew, the five boys met Filch in the Great Hall. Draco, Harry, and Theo snorted when they realized that the Gryffindors had decided to put their school robes over their pajamas. They themselves were fully dressed, as even though it was spring, since the night was bound to be cold.<p>

"All of yeh, come with me," Filch said. He lit a large lantern and hoisted it up as they left the castle and headed down the lawn to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid was waiting outside with a large boarhound be, near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "Here yeh go, Hagrid."

Filch gave the group one last glare and mumbled something about "hanging them by their thumbs" before heading back to the castle.

"Right," Hagrid said. "Dumbledore's wantin' a count of the unicorns in the forest, so we might as well try and track them tonight. Half of you with Fang and half of you with me."

"There's five of us," Theo pointed out.

"Jus' sort yourselves out," Hagrid said gruffly.

The Gryffindors immediately chose Hagrid, leaving Draco, Theo, and Harry to go with Hagrid's dog. Each group took a lantern and ventured into the forest. The path eventually split and they went their own separate ways. Hagrid warned them to send up red sparks if there was any trouble.

"When my father hears about this..." Draco said.

"Your father? When my father hears, he'll ship me off to Durmstrang," Harry said.

"Seriously," Theo said. "What's Dumbledore thinking, sending students into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night? He's more than off his rocker."

Draco said, "Hopefully, the Board of Governors will have his head for this."

They continued to creep through the undergrowth. They saw a flash of white that may have been a unicorn, but they weren't exactly thinking about their task anymore.

"Let's get out of here," Harry said.

Theo nodded. "Agreed. Let's go back."

They followed their instincts and walked back the way they came. But as they reached the main path and Hagrid pitiful hut was visible, Harry saw red sparks shoot into the sky.

"Draco, Theo, I don't think we have a choice. We have to go help them."

The boys sighed, but none the less followed Harry back into the forest, this time jogging along the other path. Then they heard the trampling of hooves, and saw a group of centaurs coming their way.

"The forest is no place for students such as yourselves," one said.

"Leave, for Pluto is high in the sky tonight," said another.

"We have to go help Hagrid and the Gryffindors," Harry said.

"Leave," was the last advice the centaurs gave them, before galloping back to wherever they had come from.

They would have ignored his advice, but then they saw a spider the size of chair scurrying towards them, pursuing Ron and Hagrid.

"Bloody fucking hell!" Theo yelled.

Harry could see tears streaming down Ron's face as he approached them. Hagrid yelled, "Get outta the forest! Run!"

They listened, mainly because there wasn't just one spider. There were over a dozen.

Sprinting as hard as they could, they raced out of the forest. But they didn't stop there. They ran up the lawn all the way to the front door of the castle, which opened to reveal a shocked Professor McGonagall.

"Aren't you supposed to be serving your detention?" she asked, pulling her tartan-patterned dressing robe around herself.

"S-s-sp-spider," Ron managed to stutter out before collapsing to the floor.

Harry looked down the lawn to see that Hagrid and Fang were trudging up the grass, looking more than worse for the wear. Thank goodness, the spiders had stayed at the edge of the forest. Harry thanked Merlin that Hogwarts had such wonderful wards.

Professor McGonagall scanned the faces of the three Slytherin students. "What in Merlin's name is going on?"

"Giant...spiders...forest," Theo said between gasps. "Dozens."

"Hagrid, can you please explain what's going on here?"

"There's an acromantula nest in the forest," Hagrid said. "Ran across it with Ron an' Dudley when they attacked us. Chased us outta the forest."

"Where's Mr. Dursley now?"

Hagrid's face dropped. "I dunno. I thought he was with Ron. Did you three see 'im?"

Harry, Draco, and Theo shook their heads. "We were kind of running for our lives," Draco said.

"Professor Dumbledore will have to know about this. All of you come with me." She woke up Ron and then Harry, Draco, and Theo had no choice but to take turns helping support one of their least favorite people up seven flights of stairs.

When they arrived at the headmaster's office, the gargoyle jumped aside as if it knew that there was an emergency, and then the group ascended the stairs.

"Minerva, Hagrid, what's going on?"

Dumbledore appeared wearing a striped nightshirt and matching nightcap. Harry would have cringed, but he was too tired.

"Hagrid had Mr. Black, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Nott, and Mr. Dursley with him for detention. He took them into the Forbidden Forest, where they stumbled upon a nest of giant spiders. I'm assuming that they mean acromantulas. Mr. Dursley is missing at the moment."

Dumbledore sat down in his chair looking all of his one hundred and something years. "What? How did this happen?"

"Hagrid decided that we would count the unicorns tonight. We split up," Harry said. "Draco, Theo, and I were with Fang, and Weasley and Dursley went with Hagrid. We walked along the path a bit, but then decided to turn back. But then I saw red sparks, so I knew we had to go help them."

"We ran into some centaurs, and they told us to leave the forest," Draco added. "And then we saw Ron and Hagrid being chased by a giant spider. So we ran all the way back to the castle."

"Did you see Mr. Dursley at all?"

Theo shook his head. "Like Draco said earlier, we were too busy running to see if he was near us."

"Minerva," Dumbledore said in a tired voice. "Please call Severus up here and have him escort these four the hospital wing for some calming draughts, and then please call the parents off all five students and have them meet us there. I'll call the ministry."

Snape arrived at Dumbledore's office a few seconds later via the Floo. He was about to ask what happened, but Professor McGonagall shook her head. He led Harry, Theo, Draco, and Ron down to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey made all four boys lie down and swallow doses of a calming draught.

Their parents began arriving at the hospital wing looking none to please. They flocked to their children while Dursleys stood uncomfortably next to the fireplace.

Professor Dumbledore showed up, now dressed in his everyday robes, and asked, "Poppy, do you mind if I borrow your office to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Dursley?"

"Not at all."

The three of them, along with Professor McGonagall slipped inside the small room. Moments later, they heard a shrill wail, followed by sobbing.

"Harry, what happened?" Harry's mother asked, as she stroked his forehead.

Acutely aware that the other parents in the room, as well as Snape and Madam Pomfrey were listening, Harry said, "The short story is that we had to go into the forest with Hagrid for detention tonight. He was with Ron and Dudley, and they ran into an acromantula nest."

"You have got to be kidding me," Mr. Malfoy said.

"He's telling the truth," Draco said. "We were going to go help them when the bloody things came and chased us out of the forest."

"Language, Draco," his mother reminded him gently.

Harry looked at his own father and saw a murderous look in his eyes. "Dumbledore has a lot to answer to," he said. "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Fine," Harry said, "just a little shaken."

"Madam Pomfrey, do you have any dreamless sleep potion?" his mother asked.

"I'm fine, Mother. Really," Harry insisted.

There was knocking doors that served as the main entrance to the hospital wing. "British Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement," a female voice proclaimed.

Poppy went to the doors and opened them. "Come in, but be quiet. My patients are resting. Dumbledore will be with you in moment."

They all watched as ten crimson-robed Aurors filed into the room, led by an imposing woman who bore a slight resemblance to Susan Bones.

Dumbledore emerged from Madam Pomfrey's office and greeted the woman. "Amelia, how good to see you, although I wish it was under better circumstances."

"I could say the same Albus. Where should we begin searching for the boy?"

"Near Hagrid's hut, I believe. Mr. Black, where does the path you took tonight begin?"

Harry, once again quite conscious of the fact that all eyes were on him, said, "Towards the back of Hagrid's hut, near some kind of vegetable patch. You have to follow the path and then go left when it splits."

Amelia Bones nodded to him. "Thank you." To her Aurors, she said, "You heard him. Six of you head to the forest and see if you can find the boy. The rest of you stay here with me to take statements."

And so the search for Dudley Dursley had begun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Warnings: There's some language in this chapter.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reviewing. In response to the review I received from **agnar**, I would like to say that there are more constructive ways to review a story other than saying that parts of the plot are "ridiculous", "unbelievable", and "stretch beyond all plausibility". Also, if you "fail to see the point" of the story then you probably shouldn't read it.**

Nena **- I decided not to include Crabbe and Goyle in this fic. And I meant to delete Tracey from the train scene, thanks for pointing it out.**

_**Last Time: **_**And so the search for Dudley Dursley had begun.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER FIVE<span>

Harry and his friends, as well as Ron Weasley, lay in their beds in the Hogwarts infirmary with their parents by their sides as they waited for news on Dudley. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley still hadn't emerged from Madam Pomfrey's office, although the matron brought the couple cups of tea from time to time.

It had been an hour since the Aurors had left to go search the forest, and Amelia Bones had finished taking the statements of all of those who had been present during the incident.

"She's building a negligence case against the school," Harry's father murmured to him. "At least that's what I think she's planning to do."

"So?" Harry whispered back. "They'd never sack Dumbledore."

"I know, but I can tell you right know that the half-giant's going to be gone by the end of the year."

Harry meant to respond, but he yawned instead.

"Sleep," his mother said. "I'll wake you up in the morning."

Harry didn't have a chance to sleep until morning. At around dawn, he was awoken by a scream of terror, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley. He opened his sleepy eyes to see two Aurors carrying a stretcher that was covered in a white sheet. A pale foot caked with dirt and blood poked out from under the shroud.

The two somber Aurors carried the stretcher to the back of the room and laid it on a clean bed, and then pulled a screen in front of it for privacy.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley," Professor McGonagall said. "They have found your son."

The two Muggles went to where the stretcher was laying, and then Harry heard more screaming. He sat up and turned to his parents, who were just noticing that he was awake, and said, "He's dead?"

His father nodded. "From what I overheard one of the Aurors telling Madam Bones, it wasn't a pretty sight. They had to call in reinforcements to kill the whole nest just to get to him. In the meantime, the Board of Governors has already sacked Hagrid for bringing the five of you into the forest, but it looks like there isn't going to be a trial."

"When can I get out of here?" Harry asked, glancing at Draco, who happened to be fully awake, and Theo, who had managed to sleep through Mrs. Weasley's outburst.

"Soon," his mother said.

"And I've decided to contact Igor and tell him that you'll be transferring to Durmstrang next year."

"What? I'm not leaving Hogwarts," Harry said.

"We can talk about things once we get home," his mother said. "Until then, try and get some rest." She slipped a vial containing a dose of dreamless sleep into his hand. He swallowed it and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>The four first years were released from the hospital wing the following day.<p>

When Harry, Draco, and Theo arrived at the Slytherin table at breakfast, their friends jumped up to greet them.

"They wouldn't let us visit you in the hospital wing," Pansy said. "What happened?"

"You'll find out soon," Harry said. "I think Dumbledore's going to make an announcement."

Sure enough, Professor McGonagall tapped her glass to get everyone's attention, and then Dumbledore stood up. "Dudley Dursley, a first year Gryffindor, has passed away. Because the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation, I cannot comment further, but I am sure that we will all feel the sense of profound loss. Now, please raise your glasses to Dudley Dursley."

"To Dudley Dursley," the students echoed while lifting their goblets.

"As such, all exams, except for O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s, have been canceled. Classes will continue as usual, and the school year will end on the normal date. I would also like to award fifty points each to Ronald Weasley, Harrison Black, Draco Malfoy, and Theodore Nott, for incredible bravery in a dire situation."

Dumbledore sat down, and then the chatter began.

"Explain," Pansy said, staring her three housemates down.

Harry said. "You know how we were given detention with Hagrid?" Pansy, Daphne, and Blaise nodded. "Well, we split up in the Forbidden Forest-"

Blaise interrupted him. "Wait, he took you into the Forbidden Forest?"

"Yep," Draco said. "We got Fang, Hagrid's coward of a dog, and the Gryffindors went with Hagrid. They sent up red sparks and we went to help them. When he ran into them, we found them being chased by a bloody spider, so we got out of there."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "You ran away from a _spider_?"

"If a spider's bigger than you, you run away," Harry said. "Especially if there are over a dozen of them. They're called acromantulas."

"There are giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest?" Pansy half-shrieked.

Draco responded, "Well, not anymore. The Aurors had to kill the whole nest to get to Dursley's body. Apparently things were really bad."

Harry added, "Hagrid's been sacked. Even though Dumbledore's probably going to let him stay on the grounds, he won't be teaching anymore."

Of course, the _Daily Prophet _got wind of what happened rather quickly.

_TRAGEDY AT HOGWARTS_

_We at the Daily Prophet have just learned of another awful happening at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a detention gone wrong, a Muggleborn Hogwarts first year, Dudley Dursley, has lost his life. Although we cannot reveal the exact details of what happened because the incident is under investigation, we can say that Dudley suffered a very painful and unfortunate accident._

_We at the Daily Prophet wish his family and all that knew him the very best in their time of grief._

The mood throughout Hogwarts was rather somber, and it stayed that way until the end of the school year. Even though Slytherin won the House Cup and Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, it didn't do much to improve anyone's moods.

* * *

><p>When the Hogwarts Express arrived in London, Harry's parents greeted him immediately. A house elf took his trunk home, and then he side-along apparated home with his parents, after managing to say quick goodbyes to all of his friends.<p>

"Harry, as much as I hate to say this, you're staying at Hogwarts," his father said once they were home.

"You're not sending me to Durmstrang?" Harry asked with his voice full of hope.

"No, I'm not. The Dark Lord thinks that it is important for you to stay at Hogwarts, therefore you will. But you must be careful next year. You are first and foremost my son and the heir to the Black family."

"Yes, father."

* * *

><p>Over the summer, Harry spent his time doing his homework and taking lessons with Remus, flying with Draco, and learning more about his role as the heir to the Black family.<p>

Their book lists arrived in the middle of June, listing books similar to what they had used in the previous year. They went to Diagon Alley a week after they received the letters, and besides shopping for a few new robes and supplies, they stopped inside Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Harry, look!" Draco said. "It's the new Nimbus 2001!" Sure enough, in the shop window was a brand new broom, polished from the end of the handle to the tip of the tail. The broom was an elegant black, and the name of the model had been carved into the handle.

The boys instantly looked at their fathers.

"We have to get them," Harry explained. "How else are we supposed to try out for the Slytherin team? We have to have the best brooms."

"Blacks don't beg," his mother said, reprimanding him.

But it was no surprise when Harry got a Nimbus 2001 for his birthday, and Draco got one a week later.

* * *

><p>Finally, September first rolled around again and Harry was ready to start the new year. He triple checked to make sure that the house elves had packed his new broom in his trunk. He release Hedwig to allow her to fly to Hogwarts on her own, and then made sure her cage was taken care of as well. Then he and his parents apparated to King's Cross Station.<p>

The Malfoys had gotten there ahead of them, so they met up and then Draco and Harry boarded the train together. Their house elves followed behind them with their trunks, and once they were settled in, the two small creatures disappeared with identical cracks.

Blaise and Theodore found their compartment about ten minutes before the train was due to leave, and Pansy followed shortly behind them.

"I was just on the platform," Pansy said. "The Weasleys are nowhere to be seen."

"They still haven't arrived?" Draco asked.

"It would be wonderful to have a year without Weasleys," Theo said, looking out the window at the station clock. Two minutes to go.

"Oh look," Blaise said with a grimace. "Here they come."

Four red headed blurs rushed onto the train, dragging their trunks behind them. They managed to jump onto the train just as the whistle blew.

"And here we were thinking that we would have a Weasley-free year," Draco said.

The train ride was similar to their previous ones, as they ate copious amounts of candy, played chess, Gobstones, and exploding snap, and read a bit. But of course, their train ride wouldn't have been complete without an annoying visit from a Gryffindor.

Hermione burst into their compartment and asked, "Have any of you seen Ron?"

"Why would we want to see him?" Harry asked.

"Just answer the question."

"No need to be rude, Granger," Pansy said. "Clearly you didn't spend the summer learning any manners. We haven't seen him, so please leave our compartment."

Hermione left in a huff.

The train eventually arrived in Hogsmeade, and now that they were no longer first years, they got to take the horseless carriages up to the school. Ron was still nowhere to be seen.

Once inside the castle, they all entered the Great Hall and sat down to await the sorting.

Professor McGonagall led the first years into the front of the hall, and then the Sorting Hat sang its annual song.

_Oh, you may think that I'm just a hat,_

_But I promise you, there's more to me than that,_

_I'm pretty bright, more so than most,_

_Just try me on and you'll see._

_I'll take a peek inside you head, _

_To see if there's more than air inside._

Here, some of the first years looked rather affronted at the implications of the hat's words.

_And then I'll put in you in your place,_

_You'll be your best there, just wait and see._

_Gryffindor may be your home, _

_Among other lions rash and brave._

_Or you might find your spot in Hufflepuff,_

_Where the true and faithful lie._

_You may find yourself in Ravenclaw, _

_With others of your intellect._

_Or Slytherin may be more your style, _

_Among the ambitious and the sly._

_So don't get scared! Don't hesitate!_

_Try me on! I don't bite!_

_After all, I'm just a cap,_

_The Hogwarts Sorting Hat!_

All of the students applauded at the end of the hat's song, and then the sorting began. Harry didn't pay much attention, although he did notice that there was a girl in the group of first years who looked suspiciously like a Weasley. It wasn't a surprise when the hat put her Gryffindor.

The feast was excellent as always, and before they headed off for the night, Dumbledore made his start of term speech. Besides the normal announcements, he said, "As I'm sure many of you know, Hagrid will not be teaching Care of magical Creatures this year. Please welcome your new professor, Mr. Charlie Weasley."

Everyone applauded politely, but Harry and many other Slytherins were mentally groaning and thinking, 'Not another Weasley."

As the student were leaving the Great Hall and heading to their dormitories, they heard a loud crash, along with the sound of breaking glass and crunching metal.

"What in Merlin's name was that?" Daphne asked as they continued to walk along the corridor.

"I don't know," Harry said, "but I have a feeling that we'll find out in the morning."

* * *

><p>Sure enough, they found out what had happened at breakfast, as Snape was handing out their schedules for the following year.<p>

"I can't believe Weasley's such an idiot," Miranda complained from further down the table.

"Which one?" Harry asked.

"The one in your year," the prefect said, "Whatever his name is. He flew a flying car into the Whomping Willow last night. The professors had to make sure the tree didn't pulverize him, so it took nearly half hour to get him down."

"Was that the crash we heard?" Theo asked.

"Yep. I'm wondering where he got a flying car though. I'm guessing his father, since Arthur Weasley's known to be fond of Muggle crap."

"Too bad they didn't let the tree pulverize him," Pansy said.

Harry looked down at his schedule, and to his chagrin, they had all of their classes with the Gryffindors. Again. Was Dumbledore _trying_ to make them hate each other even more?

They had Charms and History of Magic in the morning, then double Potions in the afternoon on Monday. On Wednesday, they had History of Magic and Potions in the morning, and then double Charms in the afternoon. On Tuesday, they had Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts in the morning and double Transfiguration in the afternoon. On Thursday, they had Herbology and Transfiguration in the morning and double Defense Against the Dark Arts in the afternoon, and then on Friday, they had Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts in the morning, and double Herbology after lunch. Astronomy would meet on Friday nights.

The year started well with Professor Flitwick's Charms class, and then everyone, except Hermione, enjoyed a decent nap in History of Magic.

After lunch, they had the absolute joy of having Snape's class.

Their professor strode into their dungeon classroom as they waited at their workstations. "You are no longer first years, therefore no longer entitled to make idiotic mistakes such as blowing up three cauldrons." He looked towards the Gryffindors, and Neville flushed. The pudgy boy looked as if he wanted to disappear under his table.

"Materials and cauldrons away," Snape said. "Take out quills and parchment. Today will be a theoretical lecture. For homework, I expect twelve inches of parchment on the subject we discuss today."

Despite Snape's agonizingly long lecture and the pile of homework that their professors had set them, the first day of school went excellently, mainly because Ron, presumably injured during his stunt the previous night, didn't show up for classes.

* * *

><p>Of course, Ron did show up for a breakfast the next day. But when the mail arrived, so did a bright red letter. The decrepit owl that was carrying it brought it straight to Ron and then took off as quickly as possible.<p>

Ron stared at the smoking envelope in horror as it rose off the table. Then it erupted into the voice of Molly Weasley. "RON BILIUS WEASLEY, WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME WERE YOU THINKING? FLYING THE CAR INTO THE WHOMPING WILLOW LIKE THAT! THE TWINS HAVEN'T EVEN DONE ANYTHING THAT BAD! YOU'RE FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK BECAUSE OF YOU!"

With that that, the envelope snapped shut, fell to the table, and burst into flames, leaving a small pile of ash behind.

Harry and his friends were among the first to laugh, and then others joined in. Ron progressively turned darker and darker shades of red, which his happened to clash horribly with his hair.

He marched over to their table, and said, "Shut up, Black!"

"You shouldn't be over here, Weasley," Draco said. "You'll get yourself in trouble again."

Ron glared at them and then walked away, choosing not to pick a fight.

* * *

><p>Two weeks into the school year, Harry and Draco were due to try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team. That morning, they were both a bit nervous, but hid it by eating large breakfasts.<p>

When they arrived at the Quidditch pitch, it was clear that the rest of their house had heeded Flint's threat, as everyone who was able to fly without wobbling had shown up for the trials. But Harry and Draco were the only ones, other than Flint, who had the Nimbus 2001. The current members of the team scowled at Harry and Draco once they saw their brooms.

Flint said gruffly, "The chasers and keepers will go first, then the beaters, and then the seekers."

Since those trying out for chaser and keeper would be going first, the chasers flew to the center of the pitch and the keepers lined up near the posts.

Flint yelled, "Listen up! Everyone trying out for keeper go to the hoops on the far side of the pitch, everyone for chaser go to the middle of the pitch. Get moving!"

Those he had indicated flew to the designated locations and then tryouts began.

"Each person trying for keeper will be shot on five times by each person trying for chaser. I'll pass the ball and then you'll shoot," Flint yelled up to both groups. He wouldn't be participating in the contest, since he was the team's captain and therefore guaranteed his spot as one of the chasers.

Flint stayed on the ground next to a wooden crate full of quaffles, and volleyed them up to those hopeful to make the team and those hoping to stay on it. Jessica Vaisey, the returning keeper, did fine against some of the attempts on the part of some of the younger students, since some of them weren't strong enough to throw the quaffle very hard. But Draco did well, scoring on the older girl three times out of five, mainly because of his speed and stealth, not strength. The three others trying out for keeper didn't do very well at all.

Once they were done shooting, the keeper hopefuls returned to the ground, but those trying out for chaser stayed in the air. Flint handed out beater's bats to those trying out for beater, and then said, "Those trying for beater fly up there. Those trying for chaser, if you get hit by a bludger in the next three minutes, you're out." He then opened a crate containing three of the metal balls and let them get to it.

Three minutes later, half of those trying out for chaser had been eliminated, and most of them were either bruised, bleeding, or otherwise injured.

The beater tryouts were finished, and then it was the seekers turn. It was Higgs, Harry, and one other boy who Harry thought might be a third or fourth year.

Flint showed the three of them a box containing a practice snitch. "It won't fly outside the boundaries of the pitch. I'll release it, you'll stay on the ground for a minute, and then whoever catches it first is the new seeker Slytherin. Got it?" They nodded.

"Good." Flint took the snitch out of the box. Its wings unfolded from inside the smooth casing, and then it took flight.

Exactly a minute later, the three of them kicked of the ground and began looking for the snitch.

Harry immediately flew up high so he would be able to spot the glint of the snitch. He saw Higgs stay lower down, and it looked like the third boy was following him.

Harry looked around the pitch, hoping that the snitch would appear soon. He waited, and waited, and waited. This was boring. He looked at Higgs and the other boy and it seemed that neither of them were having much luck either. So Harry decided to have a little fun.

Making sure that the snitch was nowhere to be seen, Harry leaned forward on his broom and began to dive towards the ground. He made sure that Higgs and the older boy were following him, and then he pulled up about ten five feet before he hit the ground. Higgs managed to avoid crashing, but the other boy didn't have the same luck. He slammed into ground.

It was down to Higgs and Harry.

Harry flew up to his previous position and began looking for the snitch again. 'Where is it?' he thought. 'Where is it?'

And then he saw a flash of gold near the stands. It couldn't be, after all, Flint had said that the snitch would stay within the boundaries of the field. To hell with it. Harry dived after the spot of gold he had seen, which was now fluttering near Flint. His hand flew over the captain's head as the snitch tried to make a quick getaway.

It didn't get away.

"Congrats Black," Flint said. "Now just do that the rest of the year."

Harry grinned. Higgs gave a resigned nod.

"Now for the chasers," Flint said. "Myself, Warrington, and Malfoy will be playing." Montague looked down in disappointment. He had lost his position to someone two years his junior. "Beaters are still Derrick and Bole, and Vaisey's keeper."

Those who hadn't made the team left the pitch, while those who had made it, meaning Harry and Draco, and those who were returning to the team, remained in the stands.

Flint said, "Practice is on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at five o'clock in the morning. You will be there and you will be on time. That means dressed and awake. If you're not awake, I'll dunk you in the lake until you are."

"He's not lying," Jessica muttered to Harry.

"Shut it, Vaisey," Flint said "We need to be better than we were last year. If we don't win the cup this year, all of you are dead. Got it?"

They all nodded, and then they left the pitch.

As they headed back up to the castle, the Gryffindor team and those from the house of the lions that were trying out started to approach.

"Do not engage," Flint said under his breath.

Harry could make out the red hair of three Weasleys coming towards them. So Ron was trying out. Big surprise.

It was the Gryffindors that engaged them.

"So how did tryouts go this year, Flint?"Oliver Wood asked as the teams crossed paths.

"Fine," Flint said, and then continued walking.

"Hey, Black, Malfoy," Ron called, "feeling bad 'cause you weren't good enough to make the team?" He and Finnegan, his new sidekick, guffawed.

"Actually, we did make the team," Harry said. "I'm the new seeker and Draco's the new chaser."

Wood smirked. "Resorting to a couple of second years to win you the cup?"

"Just because they're second years doesn't mean that they won't wipe the floor with the rest of your team," Jessica said.

"Come on," Flint said, "Let's go plan some strategy."

Wood called, "Walking away Flint?"

Flint didn't answer, and he and the rest of the Slytherin team continued inside. "Lesson number one," Flint said as they headed toward an empty classroom in the dungeons. "Don't let the Gryffindors bait you. The more they talk, the more mistakes they make."

Draco whispered to Harry as they walked, "Did you see that Ron spellotaped his wand?"

Harry shook his head, but smiled. That was going to be a recipe for disaster.

* * *

><p>That afternoon at lunch, Pansy, Daphne, and Blaise practically tackled Harry and Draco.<p>

"Congratulations," Daphne said.

"Thanks," Harry said, once he could breathe again.

"Yeah, good job," Theo said.

They all took seats at the table and began to eat lunch. A few bites into their meal, Harry felt a presence behind him. He turned around to face Ron and Seamus. No surprise there. He glanced at Flint and saw the older boy shaking his head. 'Right, no confrontations,' Harry thought. He turned back to his meal.

"Guess what, Black?" When Harry didn't answer, Ron said, "I made the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

Harry thought in response, 'What are you, the mascot?'

"Just letting you know that we'll wipe the floor with you," Seamus added. "I made it as a beater. We both did."

'Wait, how did they beat out Fred and George?' Harry thought. Although the twins were annoying, they were damn good beaters. He saw Flint and the rest of the team starting to pay attention to Ron, probably wondering the same thing.

"Are you even listening to me, Black?" Ron asked. "Probably bloody Slytherin stupidity." He turned and began to walk away.

_Crash._

Ron fell to the floor, his legs stuck together. Harry knew the incantation, which was _locomotor mortis. _Except he hadn't cast it. Looking up the table, he saw Miranda tucking her wand back up her sleeve. She winked at him, and he smiled back.

Ron apparently hadn't seen the silent exchange between Harry and Miranda, and therefore assumed that Harry had done it.

"Eat slugs, Black!"

There was a flash of purple light and Ron flew backwards. Moments later, he sat up, looked ill for a moment, and then proceeded to belch up a large slug, causing everyone else in the room to want to lose their lunch.

"And that's what you get for using a defective wand," Draco muttered.

Theo must have heard him, because he added, "That's what you get for bloody Gryffindor stupidity."

Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, as well as Percy Weasley rushed over to help Ron, but Harry noticed that Fred and George hadn't moved to help their brother. But his attention was turned back to the situation at hand when Ron began to talk in between the slugs that were coming out of his mouth.

"It was..._belch_...Black, Professor," Ron said. "He..._belch_...tripped me." At this point, Professor McGonagall had undone the jinx on Ron's legs.

Professor Snape descended from the staff table to talk to Professor McGonagall. They moved to the corner of the hall, where they proceeded to argue. While most of the students assumed that Snape was arguing on Harry's behalf, but in actuality, the roles were reversed.

"Honestly, Minerva, the brat probably did it. You know how good his spell work is. He probably thought he could get away with it, too."

"Oh hush, Severus," Professor McGonagall reprimanded him. "The only reason why you don't like the boy is because James Potter was his father. If the blood of James and Lily didn't run through his veins...it's Lily isn't it?"

"That's none of your business Minerva," Snape said harshly. "Just check Black's wand."

They returned to the scene of the incident, where Ron was still belching up slugs, and Professor McGonagall said, "Mr. Black, do you mind if I check your wand?"

"Not at all, Professor." Harry handed his teacher his wand. Professor McGonagall waved her wand over his and the remains of the last spell he had performed rose up in the form of a shadowy ghost, along with the date and time.

"He used a levitation charm on Mr. Malfoy's homework last night," Professor McGonagall said. "I apologize, Mr. Potter, but you understand, don't you?"

Harry flashed a grin. "Of course, Professor McGonagall. Besides, I didn't do anything wrong, so no harm done."

"Madam Pomfrey," Professor McGonagall said, "please take Ronald to the hospital wing and try to reverse his condition. I have to contact his parents, since he tried to attack another student. Mr. Black, I'll be informing your parents as well."

"What? I.._belch_...didn't do..._belch_...anything to him," Ron cried. He tried to say more, but he was cut short by the emergence of yet another slug.

Once everyone had returned to their meals, Harry groaned and thumped his head on the table. "My father's not going to be happy."

* * *

><p>The next day, Harry was a bit disappointed when he saw that Ron was sitting at breakfast, looking a little pale but otherwise, no worse for the wear. And he wasn't vomiting up slugs any longer. Pity, it had been an improvement.<p>

"Mother must have been able to calm Father down, otherwise he would have been here by now," Harry remarked as he enjoyed his toast and sausage.

"Or your father may be calming your mother down," Draco said with a smirk. "Her temper's a bit scary at times."

"I doubt she's that angry," Harry said, secretly hoping that Draco wasn't right.

Suddenly, owls began streaming into the Great Hall, most of them carrying the copies of the _Daily Prophet._

Daphne was the first to get her paper, and after unrolling it, she said, "Look at this!"

Harry caught his copy of the paper and opened it. The front page read:

_WEASLEY ARRESTED!_

The picture underneath the headline consisted of two Aurors escorting Arthur Weasley through a gauntlet of reporters as flashbulbs went off. Harry kept reading.

_Arthur Weasley, from the Ministry of Magic's Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, has been arrested by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and suspended from his job without pay. The charges? Enchanting a Muggle automobile so that it would be able to fly. Weasley's youngest son, as we here at the Daily Prophet have learned, flew the automobile into the Whomping Willow on the first of September after missing the Hogwarts Express. _

"_What a terrible situation," Mr. Lucius Malfoy, member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, said, shaking his head. "I'm sad that it has come to this, but when we learned that the headmaster had not informed the Ministry of the incident at the school, we felt as if we had to act. After all, we must protect our children."_

_Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge commented, "I'm quite glad Mr. Malfot brought the news of this incident to my attention. Things at Hogwarts clearly need to change."_

_Several incidents at Hogwarts over the past two years have resulted in many questioning the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, and his ability to lead the school._

_Mr. Weasley faces either demotion or termination from the Ministry, as well as a fine. Members of his family could not be reached for comment. We will be announcing the decision as soon as it is available._

Harry put down his paper and said, "Your father's brilliant, Draco."

"It's actually amazing political maneuvering," Theo said. "After all, he got Weasley's father and Dumbledore in one. Look at Weasley's face."

They all turned and saw that Ron's face had gone from pale to ashen. But they weren't the only ones staring at Ron, or his brothers and sister. Percy, Ginny, and the twins were trying their best to remain stoic. Ron looked like he was going to faint.

Draco said, "Fudge will do anything my father tells him to do, so it was probably a piece of cake."

"Let's hope Weasley won't try anything else," Blaise said. "He's beginning to get annoying."

"I don't think he'll be able to, now that it's clear that his wand isn't good for anything," Pansy said. "It's amazing that he hasn't blown something up yet. Of course, Dumbledore's probably going to get him a new one, and help his father out."

"Bloody old fool," Harry muttered. "But you're right of course. Even if Weasley's fired, Dumbledore will just prop him up. Hell, he'll probably even speak at the trial."

"Dumbledore's caused way too many problems," Theo said.

"Agreed," Harry responded.

* * *

><p>Mr. Weasley's trial took place just before Halloween, and the <em>Daily Prophet <em>announced the decision in the following day's paper.

_WEASLEY GUILTY!_

_Arthur Weasley has been convicted of the charges. He has been demoted to the Centaur Liaison Office in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He also must pay a fine to the tune of 100 galleons. Neither Mr. Weasley nor members of his family were available for comment._

"It looks like the Weasley's shabby, second hand robes are going to get shabbier," Pansy said. "Pathetic. Who's stupid enough to enchant a Muggle car, anyway?"

"Weasley," Harry said. "My father must be pleased, though."

Looking over at the Gryffindor table, all four of the Weasley children looked mortified.

"My father is too," Draco said, holding up a letter that had come soon after the paper arrived. "Dumbledore even made a statement to the court about how Weasley was a fine member of the community and didn't deserve punishment for such a minor mistake."

"Minor mistake, my arse," Theo said. "Weasley's just lucky that Muggles didn't see the car flying through the sky, otherwise that would've meant a breach of the Statute of Secrecy. Think of how much trouble that could have been."

Harry nodded and replied, "He had it coming."

* * *

><p><strong>Review, please.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Warnings: There's some language in this chapter.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**Harry nodded and replied, "He had it coming."**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER SIX<span>

The first Quidditch match of the year was Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, so Harry sat with his team to observe the match. Flint spent the entire game pointing out all of the mistakes both teams made, as well as analyzing the other teams' strategies.

"When we play Gryffindor, Black, stay low to look for the snitch. Don't worry about Weasley and Finnegan, neither of them can hit a bludger to save their lives. But against Ravenclaw, stay high and out of the way. Now watch Chang and Coot, since you'll be going up against them."

Harry nodded before turning his focus back to the game. He could still hear Flint barking instructions to the other members of the team, but he made sure to watch Cho Chang, the seeker for Ravenclaw, and Ritchie Coot, the seeker for Gryffindor. Chang's tactic seemed to be to follow Coot around in case he saw the snitch, but to also look for it on her own.

Harry almost missed it when Chang's hand shot out and grabbed the snitch from right by Coot's left ear.

Flint said, "See that, Black? Chang's sneaky. Watch out for her."

* * *

><p>The second game of the year would be Slytherin versus Hufflepuff, and Harry was confident that they could win. That morning, he and Draco woke up early to eat breakfast with their team, and then they headed down to the pitch to change and warm up, despite the fact that there were still three hours until the match was due to begin.<p>

They pulled on their green and silver Quidditch robes, white pants, as well as their pads and gloves, and then they were ready. Jessica joined the rest of the team once they were all dressed.

Flint began his pre-game speech. "We're playing Hufflepuff, but that doesn't mean that we'll be going easy on them. We're going to embarrass them. We'll make them the laughing stocks of Hogwarts. Chasers, be careful, they may not be fast on their brooms, but they can beat you with their passing. Beaters, knock them out. Vaisey, don't let the Quaffle in. Black, beat pretty boy Diggory to the snitch."

They all nodded.

They left the changing rooms and flew laps around the pitch to warm up. They still had over two hours before the game was due to start. Hufflepuff hadn't even arrived yet. Harry practiced catching the snitch a few times, while the chasers warmed up their passing, the beaters hit a few practice bludgers around, and Jessica circled the hoops.

An hour until the game, Flint called them all down and they returned to the changing room. He drew a few plays on the chalkboard, and then they sat and waited.

Finally, they head Jordan Lee yell, "And here comes Hufflepuff! Smith, Harper, Madley, Macmillan, Cooper, Knight, and Diggory!"

Standing near the entrance of the in changing room, the Slytherin team could see their adversaries flying around the pitch in their yellow robes.

"Here's Slytherin. Vaisey, Flint, Warrington, Malfoy, Bole, Derrick, and Black!"

They flew out in the order that their names were called and circled the pitch. Harry tried to block the noise of the crowd as he got into position.

Madam Hooch came onto the field with her broomstick in hand and said, "I want a nice clean game. Limit the fouling." Flint just smirked. "Captains, shake hands." Flint shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain, Michael Harper, who was a seventh year.

Madam Hooch then released the golden snitch, followed by the bludgers. They shot towards the sky. Then all of the players climbed onto their brooms, waiting for Madam Hooch to blow her whistle and throw the Quaffle into the air to start the game.

_TWEET!_

And the game began.

Harry flew up high to get out of the range of the Hufflepuff beaters, who were in their sixth and seventh years and definitely would be able to knocking him out of the sky. He kept his eyes peeled for the snitch, but he also kept an eye on Diggory, who hovered not too far away from him.

Harry heard booing, followed by Lee announcing, "Malfoy of Slytherin scores, and now the game's 30 to 0." He had been so focused that he had missed his team's first two goals. He had to pay attention, since Flint wanted to rack up the points.

He flew around a bit and saw that Diggory was following him and trying to be subtle about it. Harry used it as an opportunity to have some fun. About ten minutes later, the score was 60 to 20. And then Harry saw the perfect opportunity. He dove in a way similar to the way he had in tryouts, and then pulled up at the last minute, his toes brushing the grass. Unfortunately, Diggory didn't crash, but he did stop following Harry's every move.

The score kept going up. 80 to 30. 90 to 40. 120 to 70.

And then Harry saw the snitch.

It was hovering near the Hufflepuff keeper, Zacharias Smith, who was completely oblivious to the fact that his team's chance of winning was just to his right.

Harry dove straight towards him, ignoring the shouts coming from the crowd and other players. Diggory clearly hadn't seen it, as Harry didn't feel the other boy behind him. Reaching through the goal post, he grabbed hold of the tiny golden sphere before it could escape, and then lofted it above his head.

It took a few moments for everyone to realize what had happened, as most people had though that he was simply creating a diversion by diving towards the other team's keeper.

Moments later, Harry's teammates half-tackled him as they flew towards the ground.

"Black," Flint said, "that was bloody brilliant."

Harry vaguely registered Lee announcing that Slytherin had won by two hundred points. Everyone in Slytherin was awake long into the night, due to the copious amounts of butterbeer, Firewhiskey, Honeydukes chocolate that had been smuggled in from Hogsmeade.

* * *

><p>Snape was becoming nastier by the day.<p>

Draco discovered the reason after receiving a letter from his father. The first year Slytherins gathered in the common room to discuss it, as it wasn't something that others should overhear.

"He heard that the Dark Lord called a meeting of the Inner Circle, and he wasn't invited," Draco said.

"Sucks for him," Harry said. "Isn't he Dumbledore's spy?"

"It's a rumor, but it's clear that the Dark Lord doesn't trust him nearly as much," Theo said.

Daphne asked, "I'm guessing your father was at the meeting?"

Draco nodded. "And The Dark Lord mentioned something about training Harry and I over the summer."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Apparently, he wants to train us or something. Sounds bloody terrifying if you ask me."

Sure enough, Harry got a letter from his father the next day.

_Harry,_

_This is an important matter. The Dark Lord has requested that he be allowed to train you over the summer so that you will be ready to act from inside Hogwarts in a matter of years. Your friends in your year in Slytherin will be joining you as well._

_Burn this letter after you finished reading it._

_- Father_

Harry did as his father asked and lit the letter on fire. As the parchment curled in on itself and turned to ashes, Snape swept down from the staff table.

"What are you doing, Black? Think you can get away with magic in the hall?"

Harry kept a straight face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Professor."

Snape didn't argue, instead sending him a glare that promised retribution. When the potions master returned to the staff table, Professor McGonagall asked, "What was that about, Severus?"

"Arrogant, insufferable brat," Snape ground out.

"I just can't see why you hate the boy," Professor Sprout said, "He's such a good student."

Snape snorted. "Didn't you see? He burned whatever letter he just got. Never a good sign. That's what people did when the Dark Lord was rising and he was out and about and recruiting."

Professor McGonagall let out a quiet gasp. She hissed, "Severus, I can't believe you! Mr. Black's a second year. A twelve-year-old boy! He's not in correspondence with Voldemort!"

"His family's surname is Black for a reason."

Harry watched the teachers' conversation from his seat. He would have to be careful from now own.

* * *

><p>The weather turned colder and colder, and soon, the holidays were upon them. Harry was ready for a break. Although he enjoyed most of his classes, Snape had become an insufferable bastard, Binns was more boring than ever, and Quirrell was still afraid of his own shadow.<p>

After he and his friends took the Hogwarts Express to Kings' Cross, their parents picked them up and they departed for their separate homes.

When Harry and his parents arrived at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, the house elves had already set up dinner in the dining room. The family took off their cloaks and shoes and sat down to eat.

"Harry," his father said. "The Dark Lord wishes to speak to you and your friends tomorrow at his headquarters. Draco's father will be bringing you, Draco, and Pansy. Understood?"

"Yes, Father."

"Remember," his mother said, "do not speak unless spoken to. Be respectful, and the Dark Lord will have no reason to harm you."

"Yes, Mother."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Harry woke up early. He had barely slept. He hadn't been this nervous before Quidditch tryouts. No, he wasn't nervous. He was terrified.<p>

He didn't say a word at breakfast, or at lunch.

After the midday meal, Harry put on the clothes his mother had laid out for him the night before: a black jumper, black pants, black dragon hide boots, a black hooded cloak. After he was dressed, he paced back and forth in his room until the Malfoys arrived.

"Harry," his mother called, "Lucius and Draco are here."

Harry walked downstairs, his legs shaking. His godfather, best friend, and friend waiting in the drawing room.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. Hello Draco, Pansy."

His friends nodded. They were also clad in all black, and seemed scared as well.

"Let's go," Mr. Malfoy said. He pulled a portkey out of his pocket and told the three adolescents to hold on tight as the portkey glowed blue.

After a lot of spinning and whizzing, they landed in a room at the other end. Due to a lot of practice; they were all able to complete the journey without falling flat on their faces. Theo and his father, as well as Blaise and Daphne were already there.

"We shouldn't keep the Dark Lord waiting," Thomas Nott said in his gravelly voice. He and Draco's father pulled on their masks and told the children to pull their hoods over their faces.

They walked through several corridors until they reached a set of large wooden doors. The six second years stepped in first, and the two Deatheaters followed them.

The Dark Lord was standing there, in all of his glory.

Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy kneeled, but when Harry and his friends went to imitate them, Voldemort stopped them with a wave of his hand.

"Nott, Malfoy, you may go wait outside. I wish to speak to these six alone."

"Yes, my Lord," the two men said, although they sounded slightly nervous about leaving the six twelve-year-olds alone in a room with one of the most feared wizards in history.

"Lower your hoods," Voldemort said. "Do you know why you have come here?"

"You wished to speak with us, my lord," Pansy said.

"Correct, but do you know why?"

"You wish to train us, my lord," Theo said.

"Correct. I want to train you so that you will be the leaders of a force within Hogwarts when the time comes. I want you to start recruiting other students beginning next year. You must be discreet. No one, especially Severus Snape, can catch wind of what I have instructed you to do."

Harry asked, "Who should we recruit, my lord?"

"Those who you think are worthy to join our cause. I want to pave a new way for the magical world, where we no longer have to worry about Muggles poisoning our way of life."

"What about Muggleborns?" Blaise asked.

"Only speak to them if you believe they are trustworthy. Very few are. They believe that their Muggle ways are better that ours." Harry instantly thought of Hermione. "Your first mission will be to spy on Severus Snape. Watch his every move, especially in relation to Dumbledore."

Harry decided to asked, "Do you believe he's a spy?"

"It is a possibility. Now leave. Do not fail your mission or I will have no use for you."

Five of the children pulled their hoods back over their faces and then left the room and rejoined Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy, but one of them remained behind.

Voldemort stared at Harry with his piercing red eyes and said, "I thought I told you to leave."

Harry's heart was pounding. He couldn't believe that he was actually doing this. "Forgive me, my lord. But I want to ask you a question. Why did you kill my birth parents?"

The Dark Lord didn't get angry, something that caused relieve to flood through Harry's system.

"Dumbledore convinced Sibyll Trelawney to give one of her fake prophecies, knowing that one of my spies was nearby. My spy was able to relay half of the prophecy to me, and I acted on that information. I killed your parents, and tried to kill you."

Harry pushed a little harder. "But why would he do that?"

"Dumbledore loves power. I'm sure you know that. He saw the Potters as a threat. They were young, they were powerful, and they were beginning to doubt him. So he got them out of the way."

Harry's mind was spinning. Dumbledore was the reason why his birth parents had been killed. Well, he had known that for ages, but now he knew the details. The truth. Not that he cared about Lily and James Potter. He was Harrison James Aries Black, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Thank you, my lord." Harry replaced his hood and rejoined the others in the corridor, and then they took portkeys back to their respective homes.

None of them saw the hook-nosed man watching them as they left.

* * *

><p>Snape burst through the door of headmaster's office.<p>

"Severus! What is it my boy?"

Snape had to take a moment to catch his breath. "The...the Dark Lord's recruiting children! I saw them in his headquarters, accompanied by Malfoy and another Deatheater."

Dumbledore sat up straighter in his chair. "Are you sure? Could you tell who the other Deatheater was?"

Snape shook his head. "It was a man. I could only tell that the other was Malfoy because of his bloody blonde hair. And they definitely had children with them. Maybe four or five, I couldn't tell. And they were Hogwarts-age. Maybe third years."

Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"This is terrible news, Severus."

Neither man noticed that the spy was being spied on.

* * *

><p>Phineas Nigellus Black fled his portrait in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts to his frame on the first floor landing in Number 12 Grimmauld Place. "Regulus! I need to speak to you!"<p>

The Regulus left his family in the drawing room to speak to the portrait of his predecessor.

"Yes, Phineas?"

"I come bearing information," the former Hogwarts headmaster said with a sniff. "The Dark Lord was right. Snape is a spy."

"What?"

"Apparently, he saw Nott, Malfoy, and the children departing from the Dark Lord's headquarters, and ran straight to Dumbledore. What a disgrace. That slimy little liar dare calls himself a Slytherin. If I was the Dark Lord, I would hang him from the ceiling and-"

"Thank you, Phineas."

Regulus returned downstairs to inform Harry and Julia of the latest development, as well as fire call Lucius and Thomas. Later, they all assembled in one of the three living rooms in Malfoy Manor.

Julia asked, "What do you think we should to?"

"Inform the Dark Lord, of course," Nott said. "Let's hope he doesn't kill us all," he muttered as an afterthought.

"Hopefully, he'll just kill Snape and get it over with," Regulus said.

"We should go now," Lucius said. "The sooner the better."

"Or we could just summon the Dark Lord here," Regulus pointed out. "It will be faster."

Lucius nodded grimly, and then touched the tip of his wand to the inky black tattoo on his left forearm.

Moments later, the Dark Lord stood in front of them. "This had better be important, Lucius."

"It is," Regulus said. "Phineas' portrait just informed me that Snape spotted Lucius, Thomas, and the children in your headquarters, and reported what he saw to Dumbledore. He's a spy."

They all held their breaths, hoping that the Dark Lord wouldn't curse them all into oblivion. They watched as a slow smile spread across Voldemort's face. And then to their surprise, he let out a chuckle. "This is excellent." He turned to the children. "You now have a new assignment. Keep a low profile for the rest of the year. Charm your teachers as much as you can. You cannot get into trouble."

They all nodded.

"I'll deal with Snape eventually. Let's let Dumbledore ponder who the children may be."

The Dark Lord left, and they all let out breaths that they hadn't noticed they were holding.

* * *

><p>The moment that they got back to Hogwarts, Harry could tell that Snape was suspicious of Draco. After all, he had spotted Lucius escorting them.<p>

"We really need to be careful," he told his friends. "Snape's going to be watching our every move."

Sure enough, the potions master breathed down their necks in class and seemed to pop up whenever they left the dungeons. However, they managed to charm the rest of their teachers, especially McGonagall and Flitwick.

It was obvious at the next staff meeting.

"Let's discuss the second years," Professor Dumbledore said. "Minerva, how are your Gryffindors fairing?"

"Well, Hermione's doing excellently, but I've noticed that she has very few friends in the house. Neville's still very quiet. Dean, Lavender, Seamus, and Parvati are keeping up with their work and doing fine in their classes. But I'm worried about Ron. He just never has his work done! He's actually in danger of failing my class!"

Several of the other teachers nodded their heads in agreement.

"Do you believe that a tutor would help Mr. Weasley pick up his grades? Who would you suggest?" Dumbledore asked.

Professor McGonagall nodded. "I believe that a tutor would help immensely. I would say Hermione, but I know she has a tendency to talk down to people. And I rather not place him with someone from Gryffindor, since he'll only get distracted. Perhaps Theo Nott or Harry Black? Both of them excel in my class."

The other teachers at the table also gave glowing reports about both Harry and Theo, except for Snape.

"Black and Weasley hate each. It would never work."

"Then I believe Mr. Nott's the correct choice," Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile. "Minerva, do you mind setting up a schedule for Mr. Weasley to meet up with Mr. Nott?"

"Of course not, headmaster."

"So, Severus, how are your second years progressing?"

"Fine," Snape grumbled. "They're all doing well in their classes." He mumbled something under his breath that the others didn't catch.

"What was that Severus?" Professor Flitwick said.

"Nothing." Inside Snape was seething. After all, it was clear as clear that all six of them, especially Black, were dark. They had all of the other teachers twisted around their little fingers. That boy wasn't James Potter, he was worse.

* * *

><p>The next day, Snape approached Theo and handed him a piece of parchment. "The headmaster has requested that you tutor Ronald Weasley. This is your weekly meeting schedule. You're supposed to help him mainly with Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions."<p>

Once Snape walked away, Theo put his head down on the table and groaned. "Why me?"

"Because you're the only person in our year who can tolerate the git," Draco said.

"Barely."

"Look on the bright side," Pansy said. "The teachers, especially McGonagall, will love you even more."

Theo looked up and shot her a smirk. "True. I may just enjoy this."

* * *

><p>Theo used his tutoring sessions with Ron to bother the other boy in any way possible. From veiled insults about his father and his family's lack of money to cracks about Gryffindor and the Chudley Cannons.<p>

Soon enough, Ron snapped. "That's it!" he shouted during one tutoring session.

"What's it?" Theo asked with a smirk.

"I'm so sick of you!"

"Oh, really? That's nice."

"I'm not kidding, Nott. You think you're so much better than I am. I'll show you!"

"One thing, Weasley," Theo said. "I am better than you. So you can try, but you'll fail."

"Well, you're wrong. Name one thing that you think you can beat me at and we'll see."

"Fine, I challenge you to a game of chess. Loser has to pay the winner five galleons."

Ron snorted. "You know I can't pay that, Nott."

"Then the deal's off."

Ron said, "Wait! Loser has to...jump in the lake."

"With the whole school watching?"

"Fine."

They shook on it.

* * *

><p>Ron and Theo had their chess game a week later. Harry and the rest of his friends made sure that the whole school knew what was going on. After walking into the hall, Theo and Ron sat down at the Hufflepuff table, which had been deemed "neutral territory." Most of the student body, as well as some of the teachers, swarmed around them.<p>

Ron pulled out his battered board and pieces. "I'll be white," he said.

Theo looked at the set with a sneer. "I'm fine with that. I brought my own pieces. Pity you can't afford a better set than that, though." Theo pulled out a black velvet bag containing the pieces from his own chess set. They were all crafted out of marble and the bases were edged with gold.

Once the board was set up, the game began. Ron moved first.

The longer the game went on, the more frustrated Ron got. After all, had he been playing anyone else, the game would have ended already. The bell rang, signaling the start of afternoon classes, but no one budged.

Eventually, Theo moved one of his knights and said, "Check."

Ron had his one remaining rook take out Theo's knight.

Theo looked calmly at the board before moving his queen. "Thanks for that move, Weasley. Checkmate."

Ron looked at the board in disbelief. There was no way he could have lost.

Slowly, the crowd of students began applauding.

"Mr. Nott, that was probably one of the best games of chess I've seen in a long time," Professor McGonagall gushed.

"Thank you, Professor," Theo said. "Now Weasley, I think you owe me a little dunk in the lake."

"Not happening, Nott," Ron said.

Theo shrugged. "Fine. But you'll regret it."

* * *

><p>Theo, Draco, and Harry knew exactly who to go to get back at Ron for reneging on his side of the deal.<p>

"Fred, George," Harry whispered to them in the hallway. "We need your help again."

"What do you want, Black?"

"We need to pull another prank on Ron, and we need your help," Harry said.

"Something that ends up with him jumping into the lake," Theo said. "Or being thrown in," he added as an afterthought.

"Does this have something to do with what you said after that chess match?" one of the twins asked.

Theo nodded. "We made a deal. Loser had to jump into the Black Lake with the entire school watching. That didn't happen, so I'm getting him back."

"How did he-"

"-get into-"

"-Gryffindor?"

It took Harry a moment to realize that the twins had taken turns talking. He asked, "So, can you help us?"

The twins shrugged together. "Sure. You may not be our favorite person, but our little blighter of a brother's beginning to get on our nerves."

"Good," Draco said. "Where should we talk about this?"

"Follow us," the twins said. They went to an empty classroom on the fifth floor. One of the twins waved his wand at the door. Harry recognized the movement as one for a silencing spell. His mouth almost dropped.

"You can cast silently?" he asked. After all, being a fourth year and having the ability to cast a spell without saying the words was a big deal.

The twins shrugged. "Sometimes-"

"-people-"

"-underestimate us," the twins said, going back and forth again.

Theo snorted. "That's an understatement. I'm guessing that the professors don't know?"

"They don't need to know," one twins said.

Harry looked at his friends. There was more to the Weasley twins then met the eye.

The other twin asked, "So what do you want to do about our brother?"

"I wasn't thinking about giving him a scare," Theo said. "Something to remind him that he shouldn't try to mess with us, or anyone else for that matter. And don't forget the lake."

"Don't worry-"

"-we've got-"

"-a plan."

* * *

><p>Harry and his friends found out what the twins plan was two weeks later. It began at breakfast, when Ron seemed to be rather itchy. Make that <em>very <em>itchy. Harry could see him scratching and squirming in his seat at the Gryffindor table.

Then a stench began to emanate from Ron's seat. Harry had seen one of the twins slip a dung bomb into Ron's book bag, but to everyone else, it seemed that Ron had a bad case of flatulence.

And then the fireworks began. Literally.

A firework exploded underneath Ron's seat and lit his trousers on fire. The red head let out a girlish shriek. Before any of the professor's could extinguish him, more fireworks began to explode and Ron ran out of the Great Hall. Now the only escape from his situation was the lovely body of water down the lawn.

The entire student body of Hogwarts was treated to the sight of Ron sprinting across the grass and practically throwing himself into the Black Lake.

Harry felt an owl land on his shoulder. It was Hedwig, and she had a note attached to her leg. It read:

_And that's how you get revenge._

_-F & G. Weasley_

* * *

><p><strong>I think this chapter answers the question of what side Harry may end up being on. Review, please.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed.** **I have plans for Snape, which will happen a few chapters down the road.**

**Warnings: A bit of language, nothing bad.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: And that's how you get revenge. - F & G Weasley**_

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER SEVEN<span>

Quidditch was an good distraction from having to deal with Snape , except when Flint drove them past their limits in practice. But it was worth it, especially when they beat Ravenclaw and walloped Gryffindor. They ended up winning both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup, reestablishing the reign of Slytherin House over the rest of Hogwarts.

But Harry had an even bigger triumph. He managed to get better scores than Hermione in all of their end-of-year exams, consequently shooting him to the top of the class. Theo was close behind him and Hermione came in third.

* * *

><p>On the train ride home, just before they arrived in London, they had a rather nasty encounter with Ron Weasley.<p>

The moment he stepped into their compartment, accompanied by Seamus and Hermione, Pansy put down her chocolate frog and said, "Well if it isn't the blood traitor, the half blood, and the Muggleborn. What do you want? Some charity?"

"Shut up Parkinson," Ron said.

"You really shouldn't be so mean, Pansy," Hermione said to her. "I've never done anything to you."

"You exist," Blaise said.

"Apparently, that's what your mother's six dead husbands did wrong too," Hermione shot back, thinking herself rather clever.

Blaise surprised her by laughing. "Actually, they had gold, not that my mother needed it. And it looks like husband number seven may be around for a while. He hasn't died yet, after all."

Hermione was about to respond when the train came to a stop. They had arrived.

None of them, except for Hermione, batted an eye when both Dobby and Dippy popped into the compartment to deal with Harry and Draco's luggage.

The Muggleborn girl asked, "Who are they?"

"House elves," Ron answered, looking at the two creatures with poorly disguised envy. "They're like servants, but they serve a family for their whole lives, unless they're given clothes."

"That's awful! How could you do that to those poor creatures? Enslaving them like that?"

Even Ron looked confused at Hermione's proclamation. Seamus had been smart enough to make his escape when she had begun to speak.

Daphne tossed her hair. "You wouldn't understand," she said as her family's house elf picked up her trunk. "Take Pansy's too," she instructed the creature, "she's staying with me until her parents return from France."

"Yes, Miss Daphne," the house elf squeaked. It popped off the train with Daphne and Pansy's luggage in tow.

"How can you boss them around like that?" Hermione continued to rant. "It's barbaric!"

Ron left as Ginny was calling for him, and then Harry and his friends got up to leave. Harry was the last out of the compartment. He hissed in Hermione's ear, "You'll never belong to this world."

* * *

><p>A few days into the summer holiday, the young Slytherins' lessons with Voldemort began. They started with mild curses that would be more annoying than deadly.<p>

Every day after the session with the Dark Lord, Harry would climb into bed exhausted, sometimes missing dinner altogether because he was so tired.

However, all six of them finally got a break halfway through June when the Dark Lord had them sit down with him for lunch.

"Today, I will be discussing your loyalty," he said, and then chuckled at their alarmed faces. "I do not doubt your faith in me or the cause, but we must decide upon a way which to display it. My Deatheaters have the Dark Mark, but I do not wish to mark you. You are above my Deatheaters, even above my Inner Circle."

Harry almost spat out his food. "What, my lord?"

"You are my apprentices. You may be young, but you will be extraordinary. I will not allow anything less. Therefore, I won't mark you like common Deatheaters. This is the symbol I have chosen for you, and you will bear it on your right forearms when the time comes." The Dark Lord shot an image out of his wand. Instead of a skull and a snake, it was an elaborate 'S' formed by a snake.

That was the last break they had. They spent the remainder of the summer working hard on their spell work and dueling skills, and Remus continued to tutor them in their academic subjects.

As the end of the summer drew nearer, Harry and his friends prepared for their return to Hogwarts, such as sending Professor Snape their choices of elective subjects, and buying clothing and supplies for the following year.

Through all of this, though, their training continued. They, and the Dark Lord, were getting stronger.

* * *

><p>But they weren't the only ones who thought so. Inside the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, Dumbledore had gathered together what he called "the old crowd", consisting of those who had been a part of the Order of the Phoenix before Voldemort had gone underground, as well as a few new supporters. It would be their first meeting in nearly ten years.<p>

Sitting around the oblong table were Molly and Arthur Weasley, Alice and Frank Longbottom, Professor Snape, Professor Burbage, and Hagrid. There was also Dedalus Diggle, Mundungus Fletcher, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and a young Auror trainee named Nymphadora Tonks.

Notably absent were Professor McGonagall and Remus. Both of them had quit the Order after the Potters' deaths and had never looked back.

"I'm sure that all of you are wondering why I called this meeting today. According to our spy within Voldemort's ranks, he is planning an attack. Severus?"

Snape stood up, ignoring the many frowns in his direction. "I haven't been told anything yet, but there's been a lot of activity in Voldemort's headquarters. It hasn't been like this since last time, so something is probably happening soon." He sat down.

"What do you think he could be planning?" Molly Weasley asked.

Dumbledore sighed wearily. "It could be anything. Until Severus is told more information, I fear that there's nothing we can do."

"My position is rather...fragile at the moment," Snape said. "Dark Lord has implied that he doesn't trust me very much anymore."

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape nodded. "I've barely heard a word. Not even from other Deatheaters. The only thing I've heard are whispers about the Dark Lord's 'apprentices'."

"So that's what he's calling them," Dumbledore mused. "Does anyone know anything about them?"

"No. The Dark Lord's been training them himself, or so they say. But they can't be older than fourteen."

Tonks gasped, "Those poor kids!"

"Get used to it," Moody said harshly. "They're the enemy, whether their four, fourteen, or forty. We have to have constant vigilance. If the Dark Lord's been training them, they'll probably be more dangerous than any Deatheater."

* * *

><p>Mad-Eye Moody was right. By the end of the summer, Harry, Draco, Theo, Pansy, Blaise, and Daphne all had better aim and their spells were stronger. They were faster, they were smarter, and the Order of the Phoenix had better watch out.<p>

* * *

><p>On September first, Harry and his friends arrived at the platform together and boarded the train. Once they found a compartment, they slumped into their seats, too tired to move. The Dark Lord had insisted upon them training last night, as it would be their last session until the winter holidays. All six of them would have slept through the whole train ride, but Hermione woke them up.<p>

"Have you seen Neville's toad?"

"Neville's what?" Harry asked groggily.

"Neville's toad," Hermione repeated. "He's lost it again and he can't find it anywhere."

Pansy sat up and asked, "Why are you asking us? Go find a prefect, that's what they're for."

"They said that they're patrolling the train and that they don't have time to help me. Please, I need to find it. Neville's so worried."

"Maybe if he had his Remembrall..." Theo said with a grin.

"Don't be stupid. Remembrall can't help you find things. I think there's a spell for it, but I don't know one."

"Then maybe if he wasn't a squib," Blaise said.

Harry yawned, and then said, "Accio Neville's toad." The amphibious creature came flying down through the door of the compartment and landed in Harry's hand. "Here's his dumb toad," he said.

Hermione looked at him and then promptly plopped down in the one free seat. "How did you know that? I didn't see that spell in our books for this year."

"That's because it's a fourth year spell, Granger," Pansy said. "When you have a tutor, it makes life so much easier." In truth, it made their lives harder, since their tutor was the Dark Lord, but that was a small detail.

"Really, what book is it in?"

"You'll probably be able to sniff it out, since your nose is buried in a book half the time," Draco drawled from the corner.

Hermione seemed to recoil at his comment, but appeared to brush it off. To the Slytherin's chagrin, she decided to stay and keep talking. "So, what classes are you taking?"

"All of us are taking Ancient Runes, Arithmacy, and Care of Magical Creatures," Daphne said.

"Oh, great, I'm taking those too! And I'm doing Muggle Studies as well. I wanted to take Divination, but Professor McGonagall talked me out of it."

Theo raised an eyebrow. "If you haven't noticed, Granger, you're a Muggleborn. Why on earth would you need to take Muggle Studies?"

"So I can look at Muggles from a magical perspective," Hermione said, as if it was obvious. Sensing that she hadn't benn welcome from the beginning, she said, "I'll take Neville is toad now. Thanks." Almost snatching the poor thing from Harry's hand, Hermione left the compartment.

* * *

><p>The train finally arrived in Hogsmeade, and they went up to the castle in the horseless carriages.<p>

They all sat down, and finally, the first years arrived. And, of course, the Sorting Hat sang its annual song. This one was about either uniting or dividing in times of trouble.

"Is that stupid thing a seer?" Draco whispered in Harry's ear.

After Dumbledore's start of term announcements, it was time for them to go to bed. Finally. After all, it had been a long summer, and they were actually thrilled to be back at school.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the Slytherins received their schedules for the year. To their relief, all four houses would have elective classes together, so they would only be stuck alone with the Gryffindors for their core classes. On Mondays and Wednesdays, they had Potions and Charms in the morning, followed by Arithmacy and Care of Magical Creatures in the afternoon. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they had History of Magic and Transfiguration in the morning, and Herbology and Ancient Runes in the after lunch. On Fridays, they had double Defense Against the Dark Arts. Astronomy would take place on Thursday nights.<p>

Unfortunately, they had to start the school year off with Potions. Snape was never very pleasant in the morning, so the fact that they were his first class of the year was a slightly frightening prospect.

It was clear that the Slytherins weren't the only ones who had studied over the summer, but it was even more apparent who hadn't studied at all. Ron was the first to mess up, causing Snape to vanish the red head's potion and give him a zero for the day. Neville also made mistakes, although it was probably due to Snape breathing down his neck.

The potions master was definitely more agitated than normal.

After class, as they walked to their Charm's classroom, Pansy said, "It's probably because he isn't _someone's _favorite anymore."

"Probably," Harry said. "Do you think he knows-"

Draco said, "Doubt it. He's probably thinks it's some of the older students."

They continued to Charms with Professor Flitwick, where the pint-sized professor was great, as always.

After lunch, they had their first elective class, Arithmacy with Professor Vector. "Hello class," their teacher said. She wore her hair in a bun similar to Professor McGonagall's but she was younger and her face wasn't as severe. "Can anyone tell me about Arithmacy?"

Harry cringed when Hermione's hand shot up. "Yes, Miss..."

"Granger," Hermione said. "Arithmacy is the study of numbers and how they relate to magic."

"Good start. Anyone have anything else to add?"

Harry raised his hand. "Yes, Mr..."

"Black, Professor. Arithmacy is actually the study of the magical properties of numbers. One doesn't have to be able to do arithmetic to understand Arithmacy."

"Good, Mr. Black. Five points to Slytherin. Everyone open your textbooks to page four and begin reading. When you finish, please answer the questions at the end of the chapter."

The room was filled with the sound of turning pages and then everyone settled down and began working. It didn't take long for Harry to finish reading the assigned pages, and the questions at the end were easy. In fact, he had done some similar questions with Remus over the summer.

When he was done, he put down his quill and raised his hand. "Professor, what do we do when we're done?"

Professor Vector looked up, startled. "You're done?"

Theo set down his quill as well, "I am too, Professor."

Looking confused, their teacher got up and glanced at their work. "It looks correct. I suppose you can go."

Harry and Theo felt Hermione glaring at them as they packed up their things and walked out the door. They hung out in the corridor. Daphne emerged from the classroom about five minutes later, followed by Draco and Blaise. Pansy was done shortly after them.

"Want to head to Care of Magical Creatures early?" Theo suggested.

The other agreed, so they wandered through the castle then walked out the front doors. Their class would take place on the lawn, about halfway to the Quidditch pitch.

"Thank goodness that oaf isn't teaching anymore," Daphne said, sniffing when Hagrid's hut came into view.

"I know, the bloody imbecile almost got us killed," Draco said.

They sat on the lawn where their class was supposed to take place and waited. They had at least ten minutes until class started. They hadn't been sitting there for long when they spotted a red headed man striding towards him.

"Hello, there. Charlie Weasley, at your service. I'm guessing you're in my third year class?" Charlie was stocky and had large, shiny scars from burns.

Daphne nodded. "Aren't you the one that helped Ron out with the dragon?"

Charlie looked sheepish, and rubbed the back of his beck with his hand. "You heard about that, huh? My mum chewed me out for it, but what's done is done. Hard to believe my brother got mixed up in that."

"No, pretty easy to believe," Draco said.

"You're Malfoy, right? Draco, I mean. It's just that Ron won't stop complaining about you at home."

"The feeling's mutual," Draco said.

"Agreed," Harry added. "But it's good to know that you aren't as bad as he is."

Charlie let out a nervous chuckle. "And you're Harrison Black. The other teacher's told me about you. Some think you're the brightest student they've ever taught, and then the rest think you're the devil's spawn."

"I'm guessing Snape was the one calling that, since he thought James Potter was the devil. But it doesn't matter, since I'm a Black."

Charlie's eyebrows went up. "So you're not surprised?"

"Snape's hated me since I set foot in Hogwarts. That's not going to change any time soon."

Theo changed the topic by asking, "So, what are we going to be studying?"

"Over the next four years, we're basically going to work our way up in terms of how dangerous the creatures are. Today, I'm just going to introduce you to how I'm going to run class and what I'll expect of you, so you'll be getting out early today."

"Great," Theo said.

The bell must have sounded inside the castle, because soon, some of their year mates came outside and began walking towards them. Unfortunately, every single Gryffindor in their year was present.

Once they were all assembled and Charlie, as he hated being called 'Professor Weasley', took roll, he did exactly as he said he was going to do. After going over important things such as respecting the creatures and paying attention in class, they were free to go.

"That wasn't too painful," Draco said.

Pansy agreed. "Not at all. I may end up liking this class."

* * *

><p>The next day, they had History of Magic bright and early in the morning, so they were able to sleep late. Except Hermione, of course. She actually took notes on whatever Binns was droning on and on about. Afterwards, they had Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. That lesson was fascinating, and as always, Harry excelled.<p>

After a quick lunch, they had Herbology. None of the three Slytherin girls were too thrilled after that class, even though Professor Sprout was a great teacher. Why? Because their first practical lesson of the year was to repot mandrakes. Pansy especially hated dirt.

After Herbology, they left the greenhouses and went to Ancient Runes with Professor Babbling. The old woman knew her stuff, that was for sure, and her class was even challenging for the Harry and Theo, who easily had the best grades out of the six Slytherin third years.

* * *

><p>In a stark contrast to the previous year, Flint chose not to hold any tryouts for the Slytherin team. After all, they had won the Quidditch Cup the previous year, and since no one from that line up had graduated, Flint chose to stick with them. That meant that they started practice a week the school year.<p>

"If you don't like it, tough," Flint said. "Get over it. I'm not going to allow any whiners on this team, so if you're going to complain, leave now." No one moved. "Good. Now get in the air."

* * *

><p>If three new classes and Quidditch weren't enough, they also had to deal with Ron, who was acting all high and mighty, mainly because he had his brother for a teacher and thought that he could get away with whatever he wanted.<p>

When he and Seamus approached Harry and the other third year Slytherins at dinner one night, Harry immediately said, "Weasley, disappear unless you want to be embarrassed in front of the whole school."

Ron's response was to whip his wand out of his robe pocket. Seamus blocked him from view, so the professors couldn't see what was going on.

"Looks like you got a new wand Weasley," Pansy said. "Did your parents have to sell your hovel of a house in order to be able to afford it?"

"Shut up Parkinson," Seamus said.

"Creative," Pansy said while examining her nails. "I'm _so _intimidated."

"What do you want?" Theo asked, not bothering to look away from his reading.

"I want a rematch for last year, Nott," Ron said. "Except I'm challenging you to a wizards' duel. It'll be tomorrow at midnight. We'll meet in the trophy room. Seamus will be my second."

Theo looked up and said, "Fine, Harry's mine."

The two boys shook on it and Ron and Seamus left the Slytherin table without any further confrontation. The faculty were relieved that no violence had transpired, and left the matter alone.

However, that night in the Slytherin common room, Miranda accosted the third years. "You better not be thinking about going to duel Weasley. He's probably just doing it to get you caught out of bed." After all, now that she was head girl, she had to do even more to protect Slytherin's reputation.

"We know," Harry said. "We've already told Filch to expect someone in the trophy room at midnight tomorrow. It was ridiculously easy to convince him."

Miranda shook her head. "Why am I not surprised? Well, finish your homework and get to bed."

Harry gave her a jaunty salute. "Yes ma'am!"

* * *

><p>Harry and his friends couldn't wait to see what would happen to Ron and Seamus. They found out two days later at breakfast. Another howler arrived and was carried to the Gryffindor table by the same ancient owl. The owl dropped the letter in front of Ron, stole a piece of the boy's bacon, and took off.<p>

Ron's siblings moved away from him as the letter began to smoke.

"RON BILIUS WEASLEY! HERE I WAS THINKING THAT ALL OF YOUR HAREBRAINED STUNTS HAD COME TO AN END AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS? YOU'RE CAUGHT OUT OF BED! _AGAIN_! WHAT IN MERLIN'S BEARD IS GOING ON IN THAT EMPTY HEAD OF YOURS? STEP OUT OF LINE ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL PULL YOU OUT OF HOGWARTS!"

* * *

><p>Although getting Ron in trouble had been worth it, the Slytherin third years had to get to work and focus on their studies. And Quidditch, of course.<p>

And one of the benefits of being third years was that they were able to go into Hogsmeade on selected weekends. There was Zonko's Joke Shop and Honeydukes, as well as The Three Broomsticks, Scrivenshaft's, Madam Puddifoot's, and the Hogs Head.

One their first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, Harry and his friends spotted Fred and George emerging from Zonko's looking rather down.

"If it isn't-"

"-our favorite Slytherins," they said. But their voices were cheerless.

Knowing that they owed the twins a favor for helping them get back at Ron, Harry asked, "What's wrong?"

"Our parents took all of our savings," Fred said.

"Every single last knut," George added.

Daphne frowned. "Why on earth would they do that?"

"Dad finally got sacked last week, not much of a change from being in the Centaur Office, but our parents needed money to help pay for Ron and Ginny's school things," George said bitterly.

Fred said miserably, "Twenty three galleons, fifteen sickles, four knuts. Gone."

"There goes our dream, dear identical brother."

"Indeed, identical brother."

"Wait," Pansy said. "What dream?"

"Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, our joke shop. We started making stock over the summer so we could start owl orders, but our mum caught wind of what we were doing and managed to toss it all before we could save it. We were going to use about half our savings to start over again, but that plan went out the window."

"Your mother doesn't want you to open your own joke shop?" Daphne asked.

Fred scoffed. "She wants us to work in the ministry."

"The Ministry," George repeated. "Really, could you see us in an office?"

"Nope," Theo said helpfully.

But this made Harry think. There was a rift in the Weasley family? This could be helpful.

* * *

><p>The Slytherin team went into the winter holidays after a good start to the season, by winning two out of two games.<p>

The winter holidays were rather unremarkable, except for their continued training with Voldemort.

At the start of a training session halfway through the school break, the Dark Lord said, "Today, I will begin teaching you the Patronus Charm."

Theo asked, "Excuse me, my lord, but don't adults have trouble learning the charm?"

"All of you are exceptionally talented," Voldemort said. "You'll be able to accomplish this spell in a matter of months, or even weeks, if you keep practicing."

They began by thinking of their happiest memories. Harry's knew what his was instantly. The first time he had ridden a racing broom, when he was six.

"Channel your magic through your wands," the Dark Lord said. "The incantation is _expecto patronum_. Begin."

One by one, they shouted the spell, but nothing came out of any of their wands, not even a slight mist.

"Don't get frustrated," the Dark Lord said. "Work harder."

By the time their session ended, they all were sweaty and exhausted, and none of them had been able to perform the spell.

"It will take time," the Dark Lord assured them.

Over the holidays, they continued working on mastering the Patronus Charm. By the time they were due to return to Hogwarts, all of them had managed to produce a silvery mist of a shield.

* * *

><p>On the train ride back to Hogwarts, the six Slytherins were unfortunate enough to be accosted by Hermione, who was again irate over their use of house elves.<p>

"I can't believe you treat those poor creatures so badly," she raged. "You act like they're your servants. Can't you do anything for yourselves?"

"Yes, we can, Granger," Theo said. "And actually, they are our servants. House elves live to serve witches and wizards. They _enjoy _it. Without someone to serve, they'll slowly waste away and die."

"That's ridiculous," Hermione said. "They'd probably be happy to have some freedom. Or at least be paid."

Pansy let out a laugh. "Go ahead Granger, undo centuries of tradition. Don't you understand? Our world works that way. For a house elf, being paid is almost as disgraceful as being given clothes. They don't want freedom. They like serving us."

Draco added, "Any pureblood family worth anything has at least one house elf. Even Hogwarts has had house elves since the very beginning. They cook your food, clean your room, and wash your clothes."

Hermione gasped. "What?"

"You didn't know that?" Daphne asked derisively. "How else would it have gotten done?"

"I don't know," Hermione said, stumbling over her words. "I'm going to leave now."

"Good," Blaise said. "Make sure you don't come back."

* * *

><p>Although Hermione had been initially shocked, in a matter of days, she was walking through the halls toting a box of badges for the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare, or S.P.E.W.<p>

"She makes me want to spew," Harry heard Zacharias Smith complaining in the corridor.

"That makes two of us, Smith," Harry said.

"She knows next to nothing about pureblood culture," Theo added. "It's a little pathetic to watch her make a fool of herself."

"It's more than pathetic," Smith said.

An unsuspecting Hermione approached them and said in a rehearsed voice, "Would you care to join the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare? The minimum donation is five sickles, and you get the badge as well." And then she realized whom she was talking to.

"If the donations are going to Weasley," Draco said after spotting the other Gryffindor nearby, "then fine. His family works like house elves anyway, trying to maintain that ramshackle house of theirs."

"Don't be thick, Malfoy. I'm talking about the house elves. I'm trying to raise awareness for their plight."

"Their only plight is you, Granger," Pansy said as she walked over to the group. "I've heard that you insulted them so badly that they won't even clean Gryffindor Tower any more. I've heard whispers about you leaving hats and socks behind for them to find."

Smith sneered at the Muggleborn witch. "You really don't know anything, do you? And people call you the smartest witch in your year. You know nothing."

"No, you know nothing. All of you! You enslave these poor creatures and make them do whatever you want. They have to listen to you! Don't you realize how wrong that is?"

"No, Granger," Harry said. "What's wrong is that you're trying to change things that shouldn't be changed. This isn't the Muggle world. If you don't like the way things are here, feel free to leave."

* * *

><p><strong>Review, please.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry this chapter is just going up, I was on vacation all week and had no computer access. Enjoy.**

**Warnings: None for this chapter.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**"No, Granger," Harry said. "What's wrong is that you're trying to change things that shouldn't be changed. This isn't the Muggle world. If you don't like the way things are here, feel free to leave."**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER EIGHT<span>

Although Harry managed to ignore S.P.E.W. and all one of its members, something came up that no one in Hogwarts could ignore.

One dreary February morning, owls descended upon the Great Hall as usual, most of them carrying copies of the _Daily Prophet_. As students unrolled their papers, an eerie silence blanketed the Great Hall. Harry found out why when he unfurled his own copy of the news.

_LONGBOTTOMS FOUND DEAD_

_To the utter shock of the Wizarding community, Augusta, Frank, and Alice Longbottom were found dead on the lawn of their family's ancestral home. The house itself was burned to the ground. The Dark Mark was found over the house, meaning that this was the work of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Longbottoms went into hiding after attempt on their lives by Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Bartemius Crouch Jr., who have all received the Dementor's Kiss for their many crimes._

_Augusta's grandson, and Alice and Frank's son, Neville, currently attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There has been no word from the school on this matter._

_We at the Daily Prophet offer our condolences._

Harry saw Neville leave the hall to avoid the scrutiny of his peers.

"I'm not surprised," Theo said in a quiet voice. "The Dark Lord just demoralized the Light. Think about it. The Longbottoms were his staunchest supporters, besides the Weasleys, of course. Who's going to be his figureheads now that they're gone?"

"Who did you think took care of them?" Pansy asked.

"Probably Rabastan," Harry said. They had seen the sulking Deatheater from time to time in the Dark Lord's headquarters, but they hadn't met him yet. "He would want revenge."

They would have said more but Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement. The twinkle was clearly gone from his eyes. He gazed out over the sea of students, looking as older than he was. "I'm sure that all of you have read today's news. Out of respect for the family, I wish to ask that all of you refrain from discussing this in the corridors. Now please go to your morning classes. Thank you."

Harry and his friends rose from their seats and headed to Potions. When they arrived, Neville was already there. He was sitting alone. The tears hadn't fallen yet. He was a Gryffindor, after all. Once Professor Snape arrived, they set to work and began pulling out their cauldrons and ingredients. Except for Neville.

Snape looked down at the third year and said, "Mr. Longbottom, do you need an invitation to start working?"

Neville looked up at Snape and said, "No, _sir._"

Harry could see it in his eyes. Neville had changed. In the time since the news had arrived, he had skipped straight over the first stage of grief and had moved onto the second. Anger.

Snape ignored the warning in Neville's eyes and said dismissively, "Then get to work."

A wave of magic flowed through the room, tipping over cauldrons and pushing students off their stools.

Neville stood at the center of it all, his eyes pulsing from the power of his accidental magic. And then he rushed out of the room.

"Longbottom! Snape yelled from where he had fallen against his desk. "Get back here!"

Neville didn't come back. It was safe to assume that the lesson was over, as almost everyone was too dazed from what just happened.

* * *

><p>After classes were over for the day, Snape reported to Dumbledore to explain what had transpired in his third year Potions class, even though the Headmaster already knew most of the details.<p>

"If Longbottom finds out who told the Dark Lord where his family was, he'll be out for blood." the Potions professor said.

"I won't allow him to come after you, Severus. And you had no choice but to do it. Now Voldemort believes that you're fully on his side. He'll trust you more than he ever has. If we can discover who his apprentices are, we can deal with them before they become major threats.

* * *

><p>Except the Dark Lord wasn't a fool. After all, Severus had come forward about knowing information about the Longbottoms and the wards around their manor. The Longbottoms had been in hiding for ten years and Severus had just "happened" to come across this knowledge. What a coincidence.<p>

But now that he was sure of whom the traitor was in his ranks, there would be hell to pay for their treachery. The true test of loyalty would come soon.

* * *

><p>As the year went on, Quidditch quickly took priority. It didn't help that Slytherin was tied with Ravenclaw, and Flint was riding them harder than ever in practice. Fortunately, they managed to pull a crucial win going into the Easter holidays.<p>

As always, they took the Hogwarts Express to London. Almost right after they disembarked from the train, they were whisked away to meet with the Dark Lord.

"I trust that you have been practicing the Patronus Charm?" he said. They all nodded. "Then I want to see it. Theo?"

"Expecto patronum!" The bright form of a wolf burst from Theo's wand, but dissipated a few moments later.

"Excellent. Daphne?" Daphne cast the charm and the vague outline of a horse shot out of her wand. "Good, work on making it more corporeal. Harry?"

Harry brought his wand down while saying, "Expecto patronum!" To his surprise, a snake slid out of his wand and slithered along the floor, looking for danger. When it saw that there was nothing to fear, it slowly evaporated. Harry managed to keep a straight face, as if he had expected it all along.

The Dark Lord had a look of amusement on his face, as if he had detected Harry's surprise, but called for Pansy to go next. Pansy managed to produce a Patronus in the form of a panther that slinked around the room before disappearing. Draco's Patronus had wings, but they couldn't tell much else about it. Blaise's Patronus wasn't much of a surprise: it was a fox with a mischievously sly look about it.

When they were done, the Dark Lord said, "You may go. I will inform your parents the next time I wish to see you. Keep working on the Patronus Charm. The next time I see you, we will begin working on darker things."

* * *

><p>They had a peaceful holiday, and saw the Dark Lord three more times before returning to school. When they got back to Hogwarts, it was clear that Hermione hadn't given up S.P.E.W., much to the dismay of many pureblooded, and even halfblooded, students in the school.<p>

"She's an embarrassment to Hogwarts," Draco muttered at lunch one day.

"That's an understatement," Pansy said. "If she doesn't stop, she might have another encounter with a troll."

* * *

><p>Slytherin ended up winning the Quidditch Cup, much to their happiness and Gryffindor's dismay. It had ended up being a relatively fair match between them and Ravenclaw for the title.<p>

At the end of year feast, Dumbledore made an announcement. "Professor Quirrell will not be returning to Hogwarts next year. After many years of service to the school, he has decided to embark on a journey abroad. His replacement will be announced over the summer." The shaky, stuttering professor bowed to the students and returned to his seat, and then the noise of the students' normal chatter returned to its normal level.

"You do you think the new professor will be?" Pansy asked.

"Hopefully, they'll be better than Quirrell," Draco said. "He wasn't absolutely terrible, but there are definitely better teachers out there. Like Remus."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know that someone with his condition can't teach at Hogwarts."

"So?" Daphne said. "I rather have him than whatever fool Dumbledore will probably come up with."

After the feast, they slept in their dormitories the last time that school year. The next morning, they boarded the Hogwarts Express and headed home.

* * *

><p>Sure enough, Dumbledore chose a fool for a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry and Draco were enjoying tea in the Malfoys' dining room with Remus, Mrs. Malfoy, and Harry's mother when Lucius came storming in. "I can't believe that man!"<p>

"What is it?" Draco asked.

"Dumbledore just informed the Board of Governors of his choice of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He chose Gilderoy Lockhart."

Remus snorted. "He may have been in Ravenclaw, but that bloody idiot could barely cast _lumnos._ I don't know how anyone can actually believe the drivel that he writes."

Harry and Draco looked at each other. After all, everyone knew of Gilderoy Lockhart. Adventurer, author, defeater of dark creatures, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"The chances that Gilderoy Lockhart did anything he says he did are the same chances I have of renouncing the Dark Lord," Lucius said. "Lockhart's nothing more than a fraud. He claims the deeds of other witches and wizards as his own. Of course, the people he steals his tales from have no recollection of any of it."

Draco asked, "He uses memory charms on them?"

"That's the only thing he can do," Lucius said. "Dumbledore's absolutely mad for choosing him as a professor."

"Is there anything else Lucius?" Narcissa asked. "You seem a little upset over just one teacher. We know Hogwarts standards have been falling anyway."

Lucius sat down in the nearest chair and rubbed his eyes, trying to abate his growing headache. "Dumbledore...Dumbledore's managed to convince the Ministry to revive the Triwizard Tournament."

Regulus stormed into the room moments later, much like Lucius had done a few minutes prior. "I can't believe that idiotic...I'm guessing you already heard the news."

Harry nodded. "Mr. Malfoy just told us. Dumbledore's bringing back the Triwizard Tournament, high death toll and all."

"Essentially, yes. He's to exercise control of it by allowing anyone over the age of fourteen to enter if they have a parent's permission. No one who's of age needs his or her parent's consent. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be joining you at Hogwarts on Halloween. And you won't be happy with the rest of my news."

"What is it?" Harry asked warily.

"Quidditch has been canceled for next year, in order to give you more time to focus on international magical cooperation, Dumbledore's words, not mine, instead of house rivalries."

Draco's jaw dropped. "No Quidditch? But...but..."

"Please close your mouth, Draco," his mother said. "You're catching flies."

"But don't worry," Lucius said. "I brought the situation to Fudge's attention, so he's making it up to me by providing tickets to the Quidditch World Cup for you and all of your friends. You'll be right inTop Box. Best view of the stadium."

"Sweet," Draco said.

* * *

><p>A few days later during their training with the Dark Lord, they were practicing shielding and cutting charms. Voldemort pulled Harry aside.<p>

"You'll enter your name in the Triwizard Cup. If you get chosen, you will win the tournament. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

><p>Before they went to the Quidditch World Cup, they received their booklists for the year. Their assigned books for Arithmacy, Ancient Runes, and their core classes were what they expected, but Harry almost gagged when he saw that Lockhart had assigned them all of his books.<p>

"His ego is bigger than Ron's," Draco remarked.

That day, they went to Diagon Alley to pick up their school supplies and a few sets of new school robes. Once they were done shopping, Harry and his friends went to Fortescue's to get ice cream while their parents took care of other business.

Of course, there was the inevitable run in with Ron. Hermione and Seamus were with him.

"What do you want, Weasley?" Blaise said. "Shouldn't you be begging on the streets somewhere?"

"Shut up, Zabini," Ron countered. "And guess what? Percy's working as a secretary in the ministry and managed to get us tickets to the Qudditch World Cup!"

Pansy pretended to yawn. "How exciting. While you enjoy your one knut seats, we'll be in the Top Box. See you later Weasley."

They got up and left their table in order to avoid further confrontation.

* * *

><p>The day they were due to leave for the Quidditch World Cup, Harry's father surprised him with a present. "Since there won't be Quidditch at Hogwarts this coming year, I thought that this might make it up." He handed Harry a rectangular box.<p>

Harry opened it and revealed a long package wrapped in paper. "A new broom?"

"Not any broom," his father said. "Open it."

Harry carefully tore the paper and string off the broom and gasped when he saw that it was the new Firebolt. The broom was the office broom of the Quidditch World Cup, and it wouldn't be going on sale to the public until after the game is over.

"How did you get this?"

"I have a friend who has stock in the Firebolt Company, and he owed me a favor. Do you like it?"

"Do I like it? Of course I do! This is wicked!"

"Good. Now we should probably be going. Lucius said that we'd be leaving at nine." Harry glanced at the clock. It was almost a quarter until nine.

"Okay." Harry threw his overnight bag over his shoulder and then they left left through the floo. They almost bumped into Draco when they stepped out of the fireplace at the other end. "Sorry I'm late."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I was about to come looking for you, where were you?"

"You'll never guess what my father got me," harry said.

"What?"

"A Firebolt."

Draco eyes widened in a way that was almost comical. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. It's in my room right now."

"You can ask for one later, Draco," Lucius said, almost as if he had read his son's mind. "We should be going now. Our tent is in the V.I.P section, so the portkey will take us straight there."

The rest of their friends emerged from the dining room and joined them. They all put a finger on the portkey, and then it whisked them away to the campsite for the Quidditch World Cup.

They landed in front of a tent that looked like a castle. Albino peacocks were tethered to the ground in front of it and an elaborate sign in front of it read 'Malfoy'. "Here we are," Lucius said. "Girls bedrooms are to the left and boys' to the right. Harry's father and I have to go speak to some of our friends. Feel free to go buy some souvenirs. Just make sure to take your wands and be back by two o'clock."

The teens all nodded, and then they went into the tent. Everyone had his or her own room, all of which were all sumptuously decorated in a way similar to the guest rooms of Malfoy Manor.

After extracting some money from their bags, they reconvened in the sitting room and then left. Merging with the crowd, they roamed from vendor to vendor to buy things like scarves and figurines of the players. They also bought Omnioculars to watch the game with.

They got back to the tent just before two. Harry's and Draco's fathers were already there. A house elf served them lunch, and then an hour and a half later, they began heading to the stadium. The game was due to start around six.

Right when they arrived at the main gate, they were escorted to the Top Box, ahead of the rest of the crowd of cheering fans. There must have been tens of thousands of people there.

The chairs in the top box were comfortable and plush, and richly upholstered in dark purple velvet. Before they could sit down, Cornelius Fudge, the British Minister of Magic, accosted them.

"Mr. Malfoy! Lord Black! What a pleasure to see you! And I see you brought guests."

"My son, Draco," Lucius drawled. "Lord Black's son, Harrison, and Miss Daphne Greengrass, Miss Pansy Parkinson, Miss Blaise Zabini, and Mr. Theodore Nott."

Fudge pumped each of their hands up and down. Harry almost smirked when he saw Pansy discreetly wipe her hand on her robes.

"What a pleasure, what a pleasure!" Fudge gushed. "This is the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, Mr. Vladimir Oblansk. He doesn't speak English, I'm afraid."

The Bulgarian Minister settled for a simple bow in their direction. As he lowered his head, he made eye contact with Harry and winked. It took Harry a moment to catch on, but then he nodded back. His father, godfather, and friends had seen as well, so they were all in on the joke.

They took their seats and used to opportunity to test their Omnioculars. They were able to zoom in on the action and slow down and rewind it, as well as put captions on the images they were seeing.

Looking around the stadium, they could see people either sporting the colors of Ireland: green, white and orange, or the colors of Bulgaria: white, dark red, and green. There was a giant blackboard above each set of goal hoops advertising things such as 'Bluebottle Family Brooms' and 'Mrs. Skower's Magical Mess Remover'.

Soon, however, Fudge began the spectacle by announcing the arrival of each team's mascots. First were the Bulgarian mascots.

Fifteen or so beautiful women paraded onto the field. "Veela," Harry's father explained. "They're very...charming women."

Because they were within the enclosure of the Top Box, they were all protected from the Veelas' enchantment. But they did get to watch other men around the stadium make fools of themselves, only to be pulled back into their seats by furious wives, girlfriends, or mothers.

"And now," Fudge said one the hubbub from the Veelas' appearance died down. "The Irish mascots!"

Hundreds of small lanterns flew into the air, and it didn't take long for most people to realize that tiny men were carrying the lanterns. Leprechauns, to be exact. First, they formed an image of the Irish flag, and then a giant leprechaun dancing in the sky. As they dispersed, they showered the crowd with leprechaun gold.

Fudge then announced the head referee, Hassan Mostafa, and the referee's assistants. And then it was time to announce the players. "From Bulgaria," Fudge shouted using his magically amplified voice, "Zograf, Ivanova, Dimitrov, Levski, Vulchanov, Volkov, and Krum!" The Bulgarian team, dressed in dark red robes and flying on Firebolts, shot around the field.

"From Ireland," Fudge continued, "Ryan, Mullet, Moran, Troy, Connolly, Quigley, and Lynch!" The Irish team flew out of the wings wearing their emerald green robes and circled the pitch.

After dutifully standing at attention for the national anthems of both countries, the players got into their starting positions. And then the game began.

It was fast than any game Harry had ever seen. The Quaffle changed hands more times than he could count and the bludgers were blurs in the air. The lead went back and forth as the score steadily crept higher.

And then a red blur dove down from the sky.

"It's Krum!" the commentator shouted. "Has he seen the snitch?" But Krum pulled out of his dive. Lynch, who had been following him, plowed into the ground. The Irish seeker got up shakily from the ground and waved away the mediwizards, despite the fact that he was bruised and bleeding. "Amazing! That, ladies and gentleman, was a perfect Wronski Feint!"

Harry used his Omnioculars to watch Krum's move again and again. He was amazed. At best, his feints were a few meters above the ground. Krum's toes had brushed the grass of the pitch.

Returning to the action, the game began going faster. And then Krum dove again, and again, Lynch followed him. But this time, everyone could see the small flash of gold that the two seekers were doggedly pursuing.

And then a bludger shot straight at them. Lynch managed to dodge out of its path, but the heavy metal ball hit Krum straight in the face. There was a sickening crack and the stadium fell silent.

But Krum was still going, despite the blooding flowing from his clearly broken nose. His hand closed around the zigzagging golden snitch, and the stadium exploded in cheers. Red, white, and green fireworks went off.

"Bulgaria wins! Bulgaria wins!"

The Bulgarian team and coaches were jumping up and down in celebration. After shaking hands with the Irish, they mounted their brooms again and took their victory lap around the stadium.

"And now, the presentation of the Quidditch World Cup. Please turn your attention to the Top Box."

Harry and his friends all stood as the magnificent trophy was wheeled in. The trophy was made of gold and had several tiers. The Bulgarian and Irish teams trooped in a few minutes later, all of them looking completely exhausted.

"Well played, well played," Fudge said. "First, the consolation medals for the Irish." He called the names of the players of the losing team and placed a consolation medal, hung off a purple ribbon, around each of their necks.

"And now Mr. Oblansk, the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, will present his team with the Quidditch World Cup."

Fudge stepped aside and the Bulgarian Minister stepped forward. "Well played," he said with a thick, heavy accent. You have done Bulgaria proud."

The look on Fudge's face was priceless.

After Mr. Oblansk presented the Quidditch World Cup to his country's team, the Bulgarian national anthem echoed through the stadium as people began to disperse and return to their tents.

The Irish team left the box to return to their locker room and lick their wounds, but the Bulgarian team stayed behind to talk to their Minister of Magic. After a brief conversation with the players, Mr. Oblansk pulled them over to meet the guests in the Top Box.

"This is Lord Regulus Black and his son Harrison, Mr. Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco, and Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson."

When the seven players returned their greeting, Harry got a chance to look at Krum. Blood still dripped from his nose, although it looked like a mediwizard had had a chance to heal it, and two black eyes were blooming on his face. The seeker seemed far less graceful on the ground then in the air, and walked slightly duck footed.

Mr. Oblansk, Harry's father, and Draco's father wandered away from the teens in order to speak to the many politicians now flooding the box.

Finally, Basia Ivanova, one of the chasers and the only woman on the team asked, "Do you play Quidditch?"

Harry nodded. "I play seeker and Draco plays chaser."

"You play for Hogwarts?" Victor asked.

"Yeah," Draco said. "We're in Slytherin."

Victor leaned forward so others wouldn't overhear. "Do you know about the tournament?" All six Hogwarts students nodded. "Then I'll see you in October."

After spending a few minutes speaking to the professional players, Harry and his friends returned to the tent. Regulus and Lucius returned shortly after they did.

"Listen carefully," Lucius said to them. "The Dark Lord has something planned for tonight. There will be some commotion. We will leave the tent about a minute after the screaming begins. I will lead you to the woods, and then Harry's father and I will apparate you back to Malfoy Manor. The house elves will take care of your things."

"Go try and get some sleep," Harry's father added. "We'll wake you up when it's time."

They nodded and went to their rooms to put on their pajamas, and then went to sleep.

Sure enough, the screaming began a few hours later. Harry heard his father say, "Harry, wake up!"

The fourteen-year-old jumped out of bed. He threw a cloak over his pajamas and pulled on his boots. He made sure he had his wand in his hand and then rushed into the living room.

"Everyone have their wands?" Regulus asked. They all nodded. "Good, let's go."

They left the tent and fell into crowds of panicked wizards and witches running every direction. It was complete chaos. Calling it a commotion would be an understatement.

"This way!" Lucius shouted over the mayhem. He led them to the woods, where many others were trying to hide from the Deatheaters. After making sure that plenty of people had seen them, Lucius and Regulus side-along apparated the teens back to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

><p>In the aftermath of the attack, Dumbledore gathered the Order of the phoenix to discuss strategy. "Clearly, our old friend Tom is on the move. Severus, did you know about the attack?"<p>

"No," the spy said. "The Dark Lord only told those who were involved. It was more of a scare tactic than anything."

"That's how things started last time," Moody said from the corner. "A few deaths here and there, little demonstrations of power like that one. Now people are going to start dying left and right. Believe me, this is only the beginning."

Dumbledore asked, "Kingsley, is there any news from the Auror Department?"

The Auror nodded. "There weren't any deaths." Here, everyone let out a sigh of relief. "But there were some injuries. Most of the injuries were from stray spells or from people nearly trampling each other in order to escape. But there's worse news. The Ministry's publishing a press release tomorrow, but I'll tell you now. Neville Longbottom was kidnapped."

All of their heads snapped to Kingsley in alarm. "Are you sure?" Molly Weasley asked, distraught. After all, she, along with most of the Order, had developed a soft spot for the boy who had joined them in his parents' stead.

Kingsley nodded gravely. "They found his wand at the scene. Someone had snapped it. Severus have you heard anything?"

"No," the former Deatheater said. "The Dark Lord hasn't called me yet. It'll probably happen sooner today."

Madam Pomfrey asked, "Albus, are you going to cancel the tournament?"

"The Triwizard Tournament will continue," Dumbledore said. "We can't allow Voldemort to believe that he can scare us into hiding. We must stay strong."

* * *

><p>Harry and his friends quickly discovered where Neville was. After their daily training with the Dark Lord, instead of dismissing them, Voldemort led them to the dungeons, somewhere where he hadn't allowed them to go before.<p>

"Rabastan, here are your new pupils."

So they were finally meeting the feared Deatheater. Strands of dark hair fell into his hardened eyes. "Follow me," he said in a surprisingly clear voice.

They followed down the narrow and damp corridor to one of the cells. Inside was Neville. His clothes were tattered and dirty and he was covered in cuts and bruises. The stoic Longbottom heir looked bravely up at his captors.

"Good to see you again, Neville," Rabastan said conversationally. "Have you considered the Dark Lord's generous offer yet?"

"I'll never join him!"

"Pity. But I thought I might bring a few familiar faces to help convince you." He gestured for Harry, Pansy, Draco, Theo, Blaise, and Daphne to step out of the shadows.

Neville stifled a gasp, but said, "Why am I not surprised?"

Rabastan said, "So you do have a brain, Neville. Why don't you use it to make the right choice? It would be such a shame to kill you." The tone of his voice said differently, and it didn't help that he was twirling his wand in his fingers.

Harry decided to take the initiative. "Neville, wouldn't you like to know who told Voldemort where your parents and grandmother were hiding? Voldemort may have had them killed, but it was someone else's doing. Someone who is close to Dumbledore..."

"How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"The Dark Lord knows that you took your parents' place in Dumbledore's little Order of the Phoenix. You know whom Dumbledore's closest to. And you know that he's far from being your biggest fan," Draco said.

"You're saying that Snape told Dumbledore where my parents were?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Daphne asked. "He has the most to lose if the Dark Lord discovers what side he's really on. So he tries to cement his loyalty by giving up the location of Dumbledore's most precious supporters."

Pansy added, "Just watch, Snape will eventually drag his greasy ass in here in order to rescue you, and then tell the Dark Lord that some random Death Eater was stupid enough to allow you to escape. He's a Slytherin, after all."

"You should be getting home," Rabastan said to the Slytherins. "It looks like you've given little Longbottom plenty to think about."

They had.

* * *

><p>Several days later, people were still talking about Neville's disappearance. Copies of the Ministry's press release floated around the Hogwarts Express, along with the issue of the Daily Prophet that described the Deatheater attack at the Quidditch World Cup, and featured the picture of the Dark Mark in the sky.<p>

However, Harry and his friends were in good spirits. They played exploding snap for most of the train ride, and made sure to get some candy from the trolley. Even the fact that it was raining at Hogwarts didn't dampen their spirits.

What made them feel even better was that they could see that Snape was clearly nervous. After all, the Dark Lord hadn't called him since Neville's kidnapping.

After the sorting and the feast, Dumbledore stood up to make his annual start of term speech. "First, let me assure you that the search for Mr. Longbottom is well under way, and hopefully, he will be found safe and sound."

Harry thought, 'Translation: Snape will find him and bring him back to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore will take the credit.'

"Now, I have several announcements," Dumbledore continued. "First, please welcome your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart."

The fraud stood up and waved to the assembled students. He was wearing garish turquoise robes and was flashing his even more garish smile.

After Lockhart sat down, Dumbledore said, "I have very important news. This year, we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament here at Hogwarts. On Halloween morning, select students from two other magical schools, the Durmstrang Institute and the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, will join us. At times like this, international magical cooperation is more important than ever."

Then Dumbledore dismissed them and they headed to their dorms for the night. But like always, the majority of the older Slytherins stayed up.

Marcus Flint asked, "Did anyone go to the Quidditch World Cup?"

Harry nodded. "We went," he said, gesturing to his friends. "Draco's father managed to get us all seats in the Top Box. The match was bloody brilliant, and so was meeting the Bulgarian team."

"I hate you Black," Flint said, but without any heat. "I would kill to meet Victor Krum."

"Keep this quiet. He goes to Durmstrang, so you should be meeting him in October," Pansy said.

The talked for a bit about the Deatheater scare, but none of them really cared, since most of the students in Slytherin either supported the Dark Lord or were neutral.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room, a similar conversation was taking place.

"This is so exciting!" Hermione gushed. "I can't wait to meet the people from the other schools."

"Hermione, Neville's missing," Ron snapped. "He's probably stuck in a cellar somewhere and being tortured by Deatheaters, or worse, You-Know-Who himself."

"Well, we can't do any good sitting here and sulking," Hermione said. "Dumbledore's right. We need international magical cooperation. We need to get along and make friends."

Oliver Wood said from the corner, "Don't you know what they teach at Durmstrang?" Hermione looked puzzled and shook her head. "They teach the Dark Arts. _Grindelwald_ went to school there."

"That doesn't mean that they're all bad," Hermione argued back.

"And actually-"

"-Durmstrang kicked-"

"-Grindelwald out."

"We're not talking about Grindelwald, we're talking about You-Know-Who," Parvati Patil said. "Right now, he has Neville and that's what matters. Everyone knows that the Ministry is doing everything they can. So let's just go to bed, we can talk more in the morning."

* * *

><p>The following day, they received their fourth-year timetables.<p>

"Seriously, Dumbledore's been alive for over a century," Draco said. "I think he should know by now that Slytherins and Gryffindors hate each other."

Again, all of their core classes would be with Gryffindor. On Mondays and Wednesdays, they had Herbology in the morning, and History of Magic and Arithmacy after lunch. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they had Potions and Ancient Runes before lunch and Transfiguration afterwards. Fridays, they had double Charms in the morning, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures in the afternoon. Astronomy would take place on Tuesday nights at midnight.

After breakfast, they went to Herbology, which was messy as usual. After lunch, they all took nice, long naps in History of Magic, and then enjoyed their Arithmacy class, which had certainly gotten more challenging since the previous year.

In Potions on Tuesday, Snape seemed a bit lost without his favorite student to berate, so he settled for telling all of them that they were dunderheads and that the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would make them look like idiots.

Ancient Runes was just as difficult as Arithmacy, and Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall was a treat, mainly because she always awarded plenty of points to Slytherin for Harry's spell work.

Several days later, on Friday, they all finally experienced the joy of Lockhart's class.

"I have a little test for all of you, just to see how much you know." Harry and his friends looked at each other. They had heard from other Slytherins about Lockhart's 'test'. It was basically a bunch of questions to see whether or not they were stalking him.

Upon receiving the piece of parchment, Harry jotted off a string of answers and then returned his parchment to the front.

Once Lockhart had received all of the tests, he began to read the answers, correcting people as he went. "The final question, what is Gilderoy Lockhart's ideal present. A brain." Then he did a double take. "I'm sorry, Mr. Black, that isn't correct. The correct answer is world peace."

"Well, Professor, most people don't know what they truly want. So I just wrote down something that I know you need."

Even some of the Gryffindors laughed at this.

Lockhart looked like a fish as he tried to respond to Harry's jab. He settled on continuing the lesson. "Today," he said, "I will introduce you to a creature inspires fear wherever it goes. The Cornish pixie!" He pulled the cloth off the cage on the corner of his desk, revealing nearly two dozen fluttering blue creatures the size of Harry's middle finger.

"I'm terrified," Daphne deadpanned.

"I will now release the pixies and show you the spell to counter them." Now the students looked just a bit scared. Lockhart undid the lock on the cage, and the little blue demons flew out of the cage. Lockhart began waving his wand in some kind of complex pattern that wouldn't work in a million years while bellowing, "Peskipiksi pesternomi!"

Two pixies simply seized his wand and tossed it out the window. Lockhart decided to hide under his desk.

"That wasn't even a bloody spell," Blaise huffed as the Slytherins rushed to stuff their things into their satchels. The pixies were rushing around the room, ripping the paper out of books, tearing people's parchment, and splattering ink everywhere.

Ron had been pulled up by his ears and was currently hanging from the chandelier.

"Either petrify them or stun them," Harry said to the few members of the class that weren't hiding from the rampaging creatures.

After nearly ten minutes, they managed to hunt down all of the pixies and contain with them. And then Lockhart decided to join them.

"Did you have a nice time under your desk, Professor?" Daphne asked scathingly.

Draco summoned Lockhart's wand and handed it to him. "I suggest you learn how to use this," he said.

Without another word, they turned and left the classroom.

"You can't be so rude to a professor!" they heard Granger shout from behind them.

The six of them paused and waited for her to catch up. "Oh really?" Harry asked. "What professor releases pests like that in a classroom and then tries to use a good for nothing spell to corral them? A fraud, that's what."

"Dumbledore wouldn't never hire a fraud!"

Theo said, "Oh really? Go up to the Divination Tower and have a talk with Trelawney. Now why don't you run along and find a way to get Weasley down from the chandelier?"

They then strode out onto the grounds so they could get to Care of Magical Creatures. As always, they were early.

"What's got you all so wound up?" Charlie asked.

"Lockhart's a bloody idiot," Pansy said.

"He released pixies in our class and had no clue what he was doing," Theo said. "And most of the so called Gryffindors hid while we dealt with them. Only Parvati and Dean thought of helping us."

Charlie chuckled. "I'm not surprised. I've heard more than enough stories about his incompetency this week. I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking."

"What are we studying today?" Blaise asked.

"I thought I'd bring a treat. Something easy for today, since it's the first week. We'll be going into the forest to look at the unicorns-don't look at me like that. There's a clearing, and we'll be observing them. They may even let you go up and pet them, but I won't guarantee it."

They waited for the rest of the last to arrive. Ron brought up the rear, and was gingerly rubbing his ears where they had been pinched by the pixies.

After everyone was ready, they walked for about two minutes. Sure enough, there were three unicorns there, munching on the grass.

"Try to stay quiet," Charlie said softly. "No sudden movements. Those horns aren't just there for looks." He slowly crept closer to the closest of the three. First, it looked up in alarm, but it settled back down and allowed Charlie to gently rub its side.

Eventually, other members of the class, mostly girls, stepped forward to do the same. Soon, more unicorns steeped out into the clearing and allowed students to pet them. It was magical.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed.**

**Warnings: None, I think.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**Eventually, other members of the class, mostly girls, stepped forward to do the same. Soon, more unicorns steeped out into the clearing and allowed students to pet them. It was magical.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER 9<span>

The school year was well under way, but one night, Harry realized what he was missing. Quidditch. It seemed like he wasn't the only one, as many members of the team simply hung out in the common room, bemoaning the fact that they had nothing to do. It was especially hard for Flint, since it was his last year at Hogwarts.

But their sprits lifted in October. By Halloween, when the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were supposed to arrive, everyone was beginning to feel a bit better. About a half hour before lunch, all of the students of Hogwarts lined up outside the entrance hall so they could see their guests arrive. They were more excited than nervous, but their professors were just the opposite. Professor McGonagall even bustled around adjusting ties and fixing robe clasps.

After several minutes of waiting, they heard the shout of a small third year named Colin Creevey. "Look over there!"

Sure enough, a powder blue carriage was swooping through the sky, and twelve giant, winged horses were pulling it. The carriage itself was almost the size of a house.

Eventually, it landed in front of the castle. A set of golden stairs unfolded from in front of the door, and then the door opened. Out stepped a woman who looked like she was a half-giant. She walked down the steps elegantly, and was soon followed by twelve girls who all wore identical blue silk robes.

Dumbledore stepped forward and said, "Olympe, what a pleasure."

"Yes, such it is such a pleasure to be here. But first, my horses need to be taken care of, as they only drink single malt whiskey."

"Our gamekeeper, Hagrid, and our Care of Magical Creatures professor, Charlie Weasley, will see you your horses."

And then people began gasping and pointing to the Black Lake. The surface was frothing, and then a long wooden pole began to emerge from the deep. It quickly became apparent that the pole was a mast, and that it was attached to a large wooden ship. After dropping anchor, boys in blood red robes appeared on the deck and began lowering rowboats into the water below. They then rowed to shore and moored the boats at the edge of the lake.

"Ah, Igor," Dumbledore said, greeting a man wearing a fur hat and white, fur trimmed robes. Harry and his friends knew that man. He was Igor Karkaroff, Deatheater and headmaster of Durmstrang. "Let's head inside," Dumbledore suggested.

Professor McGonagall shooed the Hogwarts students inside so their guests would be able to get through the doorway. By the time the visiting parties had walked up from where they had arrived, the entire student body of Hogwarts was seated.

Dumbledore led them into the hall while saying, "Please welcome the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madame Maxime, and the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff."

The girls from Beauxbatons looked around for a bit before deciding to sit at the Ravenclaw table, while the boys from Durmstrang, probably on Karkaroff's instructions, went straight to the Slytherin table. The two visiting heads sat at the staff table.

"Hello," one of the boys said. "I'm Anton Poliakoff. I'm in seventh year. This is Victor Krum, who is also seventh year, and Gunnar Olsen, who is sixth year."

Many people at the table looked up when Anton introduced Victor, but knew better than to stare.

"Nice to see you again, Victor," Harry said.

Victor returned the sentiment.

"You know each other?" one of the Durmstrang boys asked.

"We met at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry explained. "I'm Harrison Black, but you can call me Harry. To my right are Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, and Pansy Parkinson. To my left are Theodore Nott, but you can call him Theo, and Blaise Zabini."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nikolai Kraztev."

"I'm Erik Jaeger," another boy said.

"I'm Sergei Maier and this is my twin brother, Andrei."

"And I'm Lars Olsen, Gunnar's brother. Are you in fourth year too?"

Draco nodded. "Are you excited for the tournament?"

Lars shrugged. "We're mainly here for fun." Leaning closer he said, "Victor's the only one of us who's entering the tournament, so he'll be our champion."

"It was Karkaroff's idea," Krum said grumpily.

Food appeared on the tables and everyone began to dig in. Harry chuckled when he heard several of the girls from Beauxbatons complaining about the quality of Hogwarts food. Not a surprise, considering what he had heard about the school. They had almost every luxury.

After the meal was over, Dumbledore stood up. "Again, I welcome our guests to Hogwarts. The Triwizard Tournament has always been a symbol of unity and international magical cooperation, and I hope to continue that tradition. Let us all learn from this experience, and gain lasting friendships."

Harry could have sworn that he had seen Karkaroff snort at this.

"Now, please welcome Mr. Bartemius Crouch from the Ministry of Magic. He will be presiding over the tournament and act as the Ministry's judge for all three tasks."

A man with dark gray hair and a toothbrush moustache walked into the Great Hall, and then took Dumbledore's place at the podium. "The Triwizard Tournament is a centuries old tradition," he stated in a dry voice. "Due to safely concerns, one must be aged fourteen in order to compete. If one is not yet of age, parental permission is required."

No surprise there.

"Now, I present to you the Triwizard Cup." Crouch gestured to a brilliant trophy, which sat on a pedestal to the side of the staff table. "The winner will win the trophy, a thousand galleons in prize money, and of course, the honor of being crowned the Triwizard Champion."

Harry instantly knew that he wanted to win, and that he was going to do whatever it took to do so. The prize money was inconsequential, as the Black vaults contained several thousand times that amount, but he wouldn't mind the fame and glory.

"In order to enter the tournament, one must place their name in the Goblet of Fire," Crouch continued saying. Several Ministry attendants brought in a tall, gilded case. Dumbledore, as the hosting headmaster, raised his wand and the case seemed to melt away, revealing a roughly hewn stone cup. "The Goblet of Fire is an impartial judge, and at the end of the week, it will choose a champion to represent each school."

'Does it sing like the Sorting Hat?' Harry thought with a grin.

Blue flames jumped out of the Goblet of Fire, and Dumbledore announced, "The Triwizard Tournament has officially begun! Now, I believe we should let our guests settle in," Dumbledore said.

They all rose from their seats. The girls from Beauxbatons quickly went to their headmistress and started heading back outside to their carriage, while the boys from Durmstrang stuck with the Slytherins.

Karkaroff walked over to them before they left the hall. "Return to the ship by four o'clock," he said to his students. He said in a low voice to Harry, "I haven't seen you in a long time, but your father's spoken greatly of you. And I believe that it is important for you to watch out for large, oversized bats."

Karkaroff was being a bit obvious. After all, the only person in all of Hgowarts who faintly resembled a bat was Snape. The Dark Lord wouldn't be a Slytherin if he didn't take advantage of having one of his men inside Dumbledore's stronghold for a year.

Snape seemed to think the same thing, as after the meal, he and Dumbledore met in the headmaster's office.

"Karkaroff is going to be watching me like a hawk. And there's nothing Crouch can do about him being a Deatheater, since all of the visitors have diplomatic protection from the Ministry."

"I know Severus," Dumbledore said. "But you still have to try and rescue Mr. Longbottom. have you been summoned yet?"

"No, but I know where he probably is. There are dungeons in the Dark Lord's headquarters."

"Is there any possibility that you'll be able to at least heal some of his wounds if you do manage to see him?" Dumbledore asked.

Snaps shook his head. "Rabastan Lestrange is probably down there with him. I heard that he's been wanting revenge. He would notice if something was amiss."

* * *

><p>Neville was still in the dungeons, but he wasn't being tortured. The Dark Lord had instructed for him not to be harmed until he made his decision. Other than being dirtier and thinner than he had been before his kidnapping, Neville was in decent shape.<p>

Except for the one question that was weighing heavily on his mind: should he be loyal to the light, or should he give his allegiance to the Dark Lord?

* * *

><p>Harry made sure that he was the first to put his name into the Goblet of Fire. His father came to Hogwarts so that he could put his hand on his son's shoulder so he could pass through the age line unharmed.<p>

After he was done, Harry bid his father goodbye and returned to his friends. "That was easy."

Victor then stepped forward and put his own name into the magical chalice. After he returned, he asked, "Would you like to go outside? It is much warmer here than at our school."

"Do you want to go flying?" Draco asked.

"Sure. Let me go to the ship and get my broom."

They agreed to meet at the Quidditch pitch. Harry and his friends went to the dungeons in order to get their cloaks. Harry and Draco also got their brooms, Theo picked up a book, and Daphne, Pansy, and Daphne got magazines to obsess over.

When Victor, Anton, and the other Durmstrang players arrived at the pitch, Victor asked, "You have Firebolt?"

Harry nodded. "My father got it for me," he said.

"Do you want to go for the snitch?" Krum asked. "I have a practice one."

"Sure."

"You're Victor Krum!" Unfortunately, they had company in the form of Ron Weasley.

Victor answered, "Yes, that's me? Do you want anything, or can I get on with having fun with my friends?"

"You know him, Black?" Ron asked, astonished.

"We met at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry said coolly. "Are you going to move, or just stand there and gawk?"

"Shut up, Black."

Theo mocked him, saying, "Tsk, tsk. You should be more polite to our visitors,Weasley. After all, we must have international magical cooperation and friendship."

Ron huffed, but left the field.

"Please don't tell me that the rest of your school is like that idiot," Victor said.

"Don't worry, most of them are pretty decent," Pansy said. "Just stay away from Ron Weasley and his band of idiots, and you'll be fine."

"Got it. Harry, want to play now?"

Harry nodded and they went out onto the pitch.

Gunnar released the snitch for them and then they shot after it. They went up, down, left, right, and around and around. Eventually, Victor won out. Harry was surprised that he had managed to somewhat keep up with the professional seeker.

"That was fun," Victor said.

But then they heard thunder. The clouds swelled, and soon, water began to pour from the sky. Harry and his friends waved goodbye to the other boys from Durmstrang before dashing back up to the castle. Although they made it back in good time, they were still soaked to the skin.

They had a lot of time before dinner, so they went and changed, and then started some of their weekend homework. And then Flint swaggered through the door.

"Did you know that one of the French girls is a Veela?" he said. "Her name's Fleur Delacour. She just put her name into the Goblet of Fire. It was funny to watch Weasley drool over her. And pretty boy Diggory put his name in too."

Harry asked him, "Is anyone from Slytherin putting their name in?"

Flint shrugged. "Maybe, but I doubt it. You'll probably do pretty well as anyone from one of those other schools."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Harry replied. "I try my best, if I do get chosen."Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's office, a plan was under way.

"Severus, will you be able to rescue Mr. Longbottom over the winter holidays? Maybe you could use Polyjuice to replace his guard."

"Maybe. I need to check the security around his cell. It may be tied to Lestrange, or even the Dark Lord. And the only portkeys that can get in and out are ones authorized by the Dark Lord."

"I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out," Dumbledore said. "We'll have to act soon. The Ministry's still working on the case by they're not getting much done, especially with the tournament."

"Black entered his name today," Snape said. "'Insufferable showoff."

Dumbledore took on a thoughtful look. "I wonder why," he pondered. "The Blacks certainly don't need the prize money."

Snape snorted. "Isn't it obvious? The brat wants the fame."

"Well there's nothing we can do about Severus. So just make sure to keep a close eye on Mr. Black."

Of course, Phineas Nigellus was there to hear their every word, as always. He reported his finding to Regulus the next day. Regulus made sure to alert the Dark Lord to the potential security issues surrounding Neville Longbottom.

* * *

><p>A week later, it was time for the Goblet of Fire to choose the three champions that would compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Everyone assembled in the Great Hall. Benches were placed around the room and everyone sat down, while Dumbledore approached the Goblet of Fire.<p>

And then the flames flared and turned red, and then spat out a lace doily. "Fleur Delacour," Dumbledore called out. "Please head through that door to the adjoining chamber."

The blonde girl from Beauxbatons stood up and walked confidently to the door.

After a few moments, the flames fired up again, this time spit out a piece of parchment. "The Durmstrang champion is Victor Krum!" The assembled crowd went wild. Victor stood up and received several pats on the back from his schoolmates, and then he went through the same door as Fleur.

It took the longest for the goblet to choose a champion for Hogwarts. And then the flames turned red for their third and final time and another piece of parchment shot towards the ceiling.

"Harrison Black," Dumbledore said. "Please join the two other champions."

The entirety of Slytherin House showed emotions only related to Quidditch. They all stood and applauded, and a few even let loose a few piercing whistles. Ravenclaw stood to join the Slytherins. About half of Hufflepuff stood as well, but there was only a smattering of applause from where the Gryffindors were sitting.

Harry took his sweet time crossing the room, and then he joined Victor and Fleur in the chamber off the Great Hall.

"You're zee third champion?"Fleur asked him.

Harry nodded.

"Congratulations," Victor said. "You deserve it."

And the Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Crouch, and Madam Maxine joined them in the chamber.

"Congratulations on being chosen as the three Triwizard champions," Crouch said in his dry voice. The first task will take place in three weeds. You are allowed to bring your wand and nothing else."

Then they were dismissed. The two other heads left with their champions, probably to discuss strategy. Crouch left as well, leaving Harry alone with Dumbledore.

"Well, Harry, my boy, are you excited that you're going to be in the Tournament?"

"Who wouldn't be?" Harry replied easily.

"Of course. Feel free to come to me for help and guidance. You are three years younger than the other champions."

"Don't worry, headmaster," Harry said, "I've got it covered."

The firs thing Harry did once he was free of Dumbledore was to send a quick letter to his parents to let them know of his selection. And then he spent the rest of the night having fun with his friends, before the stress of the tournament kicked in.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Harry to discover that the first task would involve dragons. It was obvious after Ron boasted about Charlie's involvement in the task. But Harry wasn't worried. He could handle dragons.<p>

It was also clear that both Victor and Fleur knew about the dragons as well. One of the traditions of the Triwizard Tournament was cheating, after all.

A day before the first task, all three of them were pulled from their studies to attend the Weighing of the Wands, a simply ceremony to make sure that all of their wands worked properly.

There was a reporter and a photographer there as well.

Dumbledore introduced them. "Harry, this is Rita Skeeter, from the _Daily Prophet_."

"Hello," Harry said. One of the important lessons that his father had taught him was to be nice to reporters, especially those like Rita Skeeter. It would pay off in the end. "It's very nice to meet you."

Skeeter let out a laugh that made Harry cringe. "So charming!"

Harry flashed her a megawatt smile and then joined Fleur and Victor.

Ollivander was on hand to check their wands. Harry went first. "I remember selling this wand," the wand maker said. "Ebony and dragon heartstring." He gave it a wave and a small fountain of water emerged. "It's in excellent condition, Mr. Black."

Fleur went next, and presented Ollivander with her wand. "Hmm, I've never seen a wand with a core of Veela hair before."

"It's from my grandmuzzer," Fleur clarified.

"Rather temperamental..." Despite his misgivings, Ollivander conjured a bouquet of flowers, handed them to Fleur, and declared her wand to be in fine shape.

Ollivander then took Victor's wand and mused, "I haven't seen a Gregorovitch wand in a while. Great craftsmanship."

"It's one of the last he made," Victor said proudly.

After shooting a few sparks into the air, Ollivander returned Victor's wand.

Crouch began saying, "Thank you all for attending-" but he was interrupted by Skeeter.

"-I'm sure there's a little time for pictures and interviews, don't you agree?"

"Y-y-yes, of course. Take all the time you need." Crouch then left the room as quickly as possible.

Harry didn't blame him. Skeeter had gotten her first big break when Crouch's son was arrested for being a Deatheater. She had dragged his name through the mud, leading to his demotion.

After spending nearly a half hour posing for photos, Skeeter dragged them off for individual interviews.

"So, Harry, do tell, what do your parents think of your entry in the tournament? Are they pleased?"

"They support me in everything I do," Harry said smoothly. "So naturally, they're very pleased to hear that I'm going to be representing Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament."

"And what do you think your birth parents, the Potters, would think of you being raised by such a dark family, pardon the pun?"

"I believe that they would want me to be happy, which I am."

"Really? So you rather be a Black than a Potter? Don't you feel like you're disgracing your parents' memories?"

"My birth parents may be James and Lily Potter, but my real parents are Lord Regulus Arcturus Black and Lady Julia Danielle Black. The Potters are a memory and nothing more. I am Harrison James Aries Black, and that will never change."

Skeeter cleared her throat and moved onto another topic. "So, are you confident in your abilities to tackle the tasks? After all, your opponents are three years older than you?"

"If I wasn't confident in my abilities, I wouldn't have entered my name. So yes, I believe that I will be able to face the tasks, as well as win the entire tournament."

After asking a few more questions, Skeeter ended the interview and moved onto the next victim...err...champion.

* * *

><p><em>THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT<em>

_Rita Skeeter_

_Hello, my lovably loyal readers, it's me, Rita Skeeter, and I'll be covering the newly revived Triwizard Tournament that is taking place at Hogwarts this year. The champions have been chosen, so let's meet them, shall we?_

_We all know Victor Krum, Bulgarian seeker extraordinaire and one of the youngest seekers to ever win the Quidditch World Cup. Well now, he's Durmstrang's champion in the Triwizard Tournament. A young man of very few words, when asked about why he entered the tournament, he said it would be "something new". Well, if I were a world-renowned Quidditch player, I would want to try something new too! Krum looks to be a powerful competitor and he wields one of the last wands ever made by Gregorovitch. Many say that he'll win._

_Our next competitor is Fleur Delacour, from Beauxbatons. She's very striking, not surprising considering she's a half-Veela. Maybe she'll be looking to use her charms to sway the decisions in her favor. When I asked her, she looked scandalized and said, "Never!"_

_And now, for our third and final champion, and hopefully the hometown hero, Harrison Black. Harry, as many call him, is handsome, charming and coolly confident in his ability to face two others that are three years his senior. He has the support of his family and close friends, although it seems that Hogwarts is divided. Of course, his fellow Slytherins support him, and apparently, so does Ravenclaw. "Everyone wants him to win," Cho Chang, a fifth year Ravenclaw commented. But it seems like not everyone in the castle is on his side. Ron Weasley, a fourth year Gryffindor said, "Black's an attention seeking idiot."_

_Thanks for reading, and I'll give you a quick update after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Hopefully our three champions make it out alive!_

Daphne put her paper down. "'Hopefully our three champions make it our alive?' Now I remember why that woman annoys me so much. She's a nightmare."

"Only is she's not on your side," Theo corrected her. "Apparently, Harry's handsome, charming, and coolly confident. And the hometown hero. It looks like she's trying to make everyone into a Harry fan."

Harry laughed and said, "Cut it out. But having Skeeter on my side may end up being a good thing."

* * *

><p>The next day, Harry woke up early so he could have a little alone time before the task. He pulled on charmed armor his parents sent him. It was sturdy and fireproof. Then he pulled on his uniform, courtesy of the tournament. The top was black and had white and dark green stripes going down the sleeves. His surname was on the back in white writing. The pants were black as well and had the same stripes going down both sides.<p>

He also pulled on his boots, which were charmed just like his armor. Then he tucked his wand into his pocket and thought about his plan. Once his friends began stirring, he waited for them to get ready, and then they headed down to breakfast.

Other Hogwarts students, offering him good luck in the task, kept stopping him. Finally, he made it to the Slytherin table, where he helped to himself to breakfast. He wasn't nervous. He knew he was going to succeed. He had to.

But Dumbledore approached him, halfway though his meal.

"Mr. Black, you have to be at the champions' tent near the stadium in fifteen minutes."

Harry didn't look at his headmaster, instead choosing to nod to indicate that he had heard. He took his time finishing the rest of his food, and then he left the Great Hall and headed down to the stadium that had been erected across the grounds. He arrived at the tent just in time.

Fleur and Madame Maxime, and Victor and Karkaroff were already there. Crouch, Dumbledore, and a man wearing a too-tight set of Wimbourne Wasps robes were there as well. Harry recognized the man, so he said, "Are you Ludo Bagman?"

"Ah, I see the boy knows his Quidditch!" The pudgy man vigorously shook Harry's hand and added, "You must be Harry Black, everyone's been speculating about our youngest champion."

Crouch interrupted, saying, "Mr. Bagman will be doing the commentary for the tournament. Now, gather round."

Harry, Fleur, and Victor stood in a semicircle around Crouch. He was holding a black velvet bag that was hissing and emitting small blasts of smoke. Harry glanced at Fleur and Victor. They weren't fazed. They knew what they were about to face.

"Inside this bag is what you are going to be facing in this task. You will select it and the order you will go in. You will be aiming to collect a golden egg. Miss Delacour?" Fleur reached her fingers into the bag and pulled out a small, but moving, model of a dragon. "The Welsh Green," Crouch said.

It was Victor's turn next. He ended up with the Chinese Fireball.

"Mr. Black?" Harry felt the spikes of the miniature version of whatever dragon he would be facing prick his fingers. When his choice emerged from the bag, he couldn't help but feel nervous. There were rows of spikes around its head and along its tail, two bronze colored horns sprouted from its forehead, and it kept spouting bursts of flame from its mouth.

"The Hungarian Horntail."

Harry looked at the small tag around the miniature's neck. He would be going third. Victor was first and Fleur was second.

The adults left the tent, leaving the three teens alone.

"Nervous?" Krum asked.

"Just a little," Harry said, sending a couple of smiles his competitors' way. It wouldn't do for them to see him weak, even for a moment.

Fleur didn't respond, and went to a corner of the tent for some quiet time to herself.

Then they heard Bagman yell with an amplified voice, "Our first champion, Victor Krum!"

There was a cannon blast, and then Victor stepped out into the stadium. There was _oohing_ and _ahhing_ from the crowd, then gasps, and then, finally, applause.

"And now for Mr. Krum's scores!" The actual numbers weren't announced, but they must have been high, as Harry could hear the crowd cheering rather loudly.

Fleur seemed a mess when she stepped in front of the entrance of the tent, but when it was time for her to go out, it looked like she was able to collect herself. She survived the task as well, if the spectator's cheers were anything to go by.

And then it was Harry's turn. After the blast of the cannon, he stepped into the arena.

And then a spiked tail came straight at him. Harry ducked and rolled out of the way, and the tail smacked the ground where he had been.

He ducked behind the closest boulder he could see, pointed his wand at the sky, and shouted, "Accio Firebolt!"

The stadium was quiet, except for Bagman's announcing. Harry could hear him speculating about his strategy. But then Harry heard the whistling of a streamlined piece of wood hurtling through the air.

'Wait for it...wait for it...NOW!'

Harry flung himself onto the broom just as the Horntail let loose a blast of flame, almost catching him in the side. And then he spotted the golden egg, nestled among several speckled dragon eggs. He swooped towards the eggs, avoiding another flash of flame as well as a razor sharp claw.

He reached out, using his seeker skills, and managed to snatch up the golden egg.

But then a leathery tail flew at him. There was no time to avoid it. It knocked Harry and his broom aside, but luckily, towards the exit of the stadium. He scrambled to his feet, and got out of there while clutching his broom and the golden egg.

Harry could hear the cheering of the crowd as Madam Pomfrey forced him onto a cot. Victor and Fleur were also there, as they had been treated for minor injuries.

"Madam Pomfrey, please, I'm fine," Harry insisted.

"Mr. Black, sit down before you hurt yourself further!" the stern matron said.

And then Harry heard his father shouting, "Let me in! That's my son!"

Then Harry looked down and realized that the hand clutching the golden egg was covered in blood, and that he could see the white of shattered bones. His world went black.

* * *

><p>Harry woke up in the hospital wing. 'Surprise, surprise,' he thought. His right hand was wrapped tightly in layers of bandages, and he felt a thin bandage around his head. He hurt all over.<p>

He heard his mother call softly, "Regulus! Regulus, Harry's awake! He's awake!"

Then he heard footsteps and then his father saying, "Harry, can you hear me?" Harry nodded slightly. "Julia, could you go get Madame Pomfrey so she can check on him?"

"Of course." Harry felt his mother's cool hand smooth over his forehead, and then she got up.

Harry asked his father, "What happened?"

"The dragon hit you with its tail. You have a concussion, a cracked skull, and most of the bones in right your hand and wrist shattered. Adrenaline is the only thing that got you out of that stadium."

"I remember, sort off. Everything's a little blurry. How long has it been?"

"Almost a week and a half."

Harry looked closer at his father and noticed the slightly dark circles under his eyes and a week and a half worth of facial hair.

"Have you been here the whole time?" he asked.

"Yes. And you'll be glad to know that you're in first place. Dumbledore gave you eight points, Karkaroff gave you six, Madame Maxime gave you five, and Crouch gave you eight for twenty-seven total points. Fleur is in second, with twenty-five points, and Victor is in third with twenty-two."

"Are they okay?"

"They're fine, just a few burns and bruises. Skeeter's article in the _Daily_ _Prophet _mainly talked about you though. You've had dozens of letters from fans, and everyone is incensed about the danger of the tournament."

"I have fan mail?" Harry asked incredulous.

"Please try not to exert yourself, Mr. Black. You'll have plenty of time to read your fan mail after I check you over." She waved her wand in several complicated patterns, and as she did so, it glowed different colors. "Your head's healing nicely, but I'm still worried about your hand."

His mother asked, "What is it?"

"There was a lot of damage when the bones shattered. The bones that have grown back are weak and I would suggest that you bring him to St. Mungo's in a few days."

"Is it really that bad?" his father asked.

"Well, it should be almost completely healed by now, so there may be something wrong. If I were you, I would bring him to the hospital."

His father nodded gravely. "Understood."

Madame Pomfrey returned to her office and allowed mother, father, and son to have some privacy.

"I'll contact St. Mungo's later and set up an appointment," his mother said. "I want to deal with this as quickly as possible."

"I agree," his father said.

* * *

><p>Harry spent the following three days resting, and then Madam Pomfrey finally released him from her care, even though he still wouldn't be going back to attending classes.<p>

His friends nearly tackled him at breakfast this morning.

"I'm so glad you're back," Daphne said. "We were all so worried."

"We saw your parents a few times, but they didn't tell us much. Just that you were seriously injured," Theo added.

"I fractured my skull and shattered most of the bones in my right hand and wrist. I'm going to see a Healer at St. Mungo's later this morning."

"Well you'll be glad to hear this," Pansy said with a smirk, "_Witch Weekly_ listed you as number five it's list of top ten bachelors. Apparently, you have money, you have charm, and you just need the experience."

Harry flushed. "Thanks for letting me know Pansy. What has the _Prophet _been saying about the tournament?"

"That you're brave, excellent at magic, and have flying skills that rival Viktor's," Draco said. "Most of Britain's rooting for you."

"Good to know that I have some support."

After Harry struggled though breakfast, as he could only eat using his left hand, his friends went to class while he returned to the hospital wing to meet his parents.

"Ready?" his father asked. "After seeing the Healer, Rita Skeeter wants to meet you for an interview for the _Daily Prophet_, and then you can meet with your professors so you can start catching up in your classes."

They each stepped into the floo and went to St. Mungo's. They signed in with the nurse in charge, and a few minutes later, a Healer came over.

"Hello, I'm Hippocrates Smethwyck, Healer-in-charge of the Artifact Accident floor here at St. Mungo's. I'll be treating you. Why don't we head to my office so we can talk?"

Harry and his parents followed Healer Smethwyck down the narrow, sterile hallway to a small office.

"Would you like anything?" the tall man asked. "Tea? Coffee?"

"We're fine, thank you," Harry's mother said. "Why don't we begin talking?"

"Sure." Healer Smethwyck sat down behind his desk. "First we're going to run a few tests, and then hopefully, we'll be able to make a diagnosis. So, Harry, ho does your hand feel?"

"It hurts," Harry said bluntly.

"Do you have any sensation in your fingers? Madame Pomfrey mentioned in her report that some of the bones had grown back."

"Kind of. I can't really move them with the bandage on."

"I'll be taking that off soon so I can run the tests. Is the pain sharp, or is it steady and throbbing?"

"Definitely throbbing, except when I try to move it, and then pain shoots up to my wrist."

The Healer made a few notes on his report and said, "Very well. Come with me. Your parents can come too."

Healer Smethwyck led them to an examination room across the hall. He carefully severed the bandage that Madame Pomfrey had wrapped tightly around Harry's injured appendage. Harry grimaced, and not just at the pain. His hand was pale and there were a few white scars at various points.

"Where the bones broke through the skin," Smethwyck explained when he saw Harry looking.

The Healer proceeded to wave his wand in several intricate patterns and hazy images rose up. Harry's hand glowed red, then blue.

"Some parts of your hand are finally beginning to heal, while the rest aren't quite there yet. It's probably because your magic's slightly exhausted from trying to heal the rest of your body. The solution is rather simple, but I'm not surprised that Pomfrey didn't notice it. It's rather difficult to catch magical exhaustion in teenagers. I'm going to put you on two extra-strength doses of Skele-Gro and you'll stay here overnight for observation."

Harry asked, "Do I have to?"

The Healer nodded. "If all's well in the morning, you'll be free to go. You should be able to resume all of your normal activities, just no any flying for a week or so."

Harry could handle spending a night in the hospital, but not being able to fly for a week would be problematic. "You've got to be kidding me."

The Healer laughed and said, "You'll be thanking me when you don't end up here again with the same broken hand."

They went to another section of the floor and got Harry situated in his private room. His father stayed to sign forms while his mother went home to pick up clothes for him.

Soon, a nurse came by with his first dose of Skele-Gro. "You'll get your second one late this afternoon," she informed him. Harry downed the steaming potion, almost gagging at the taste. Why didn't potions _ever_ taste good?

"Skeeter should be here in twenty minutes or so," his father said.

"Sounds fine."

His mother returned a few minutes later, toting a bag of clothes, as well as a few books to entertain him. As she set about making the room more comfortable, Rita Skeeter appeared, wearing a peacock blue silk suit. She could give Lockhart a run for his money when it came to ridiculous clothing.

"It's so good to see you again Harry. Lord Black, Lady Black, how very nice to meet you. Your son is such a charming boy."

"So I've been told," Regulus said.

His parents sat by his bedside, while Skeeter pulled up a chair from the corner. "So, the world's been wondering if our youngest champion is on death's door. Is that so?"

Harry almost snorted. "I have a broken hand, so I wouldn't consider that being very life threatening."

"But why would you trek all the way here to St. Mungo's? Is there something else wrong that you wouldn't like the people of Britain to know?"

"I'm fine. The Healer just wants me to be under observation, so that the bones grow back properly. It's not a big deal."

"And how are you preparing for the second task? I'm guessing you have the clue all figured out? Care to give me a hint to what it is?"

"Given that I was unconscious for neraly a week and a half following the first task, no I have not discovered what I have to do for the second. Right now, I'm focusing on getting better. Besides, I'll be able to handle whatever they throw at me."

Skeeter scribbled down his answer before saying, "Confident, I see. Well, I think that's it. Good day to all of you."

Once she was gone, Harry relaxed back into his pillows and his eyes drifted shut, and allowed the potion to begin its work on his hand.

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><p><strong>Please review.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. I sorry it took so long to update, life happened.**

**Warnings: There's some language in this chapter.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**Once she was gone, Harry relaxed back into his pillows and his eyes drifted shut, and allowed the potion to begin its work on his hand.**

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><p><span>CHAPTER 10<span>

Harry soon returned to Hogwarts, fully healed, and he set about preparing for the second task. Luckily, Viktor was more than willing to help him.

"Put your egg underwater and then open it," the older boy told Harry. "You don't want to hear the sound it makes out of water. Oh, and you might want to know that there will be a dance."

Harry looked at him and asked, "What?"

"There is a Yule Ball on Christmas night. They announced it about a week ago. Everyone thirteen and older is allowed to go. You need a date, since you're a champion."

"Great," Harry grumbled. "I need to figure out this bloody task and ask a girl to a ball."

"You should find a date quickly. Most of the pretty girls have already been asked."

"Who are you going with?" Harry inquired.

"Your friend, Blaise. More like she walked up to me and told me that I was going to take her to the ball."

Harry snorted. "That sounds like Blaise."

After he left Viktor, he went straight to his room and retrieved his golden egg. He filled the sink with water and dunked both his head and the egg. The sounds of thereal voices floated to his ears.

_Come seek us where our secrets sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_To recover what we took._

Great, a riddle. But it wasn't too complex. After all, as far as Harry knew, the only creatures capable of singing underwater were merpeople, and that he would have an hour to take something of his back from them. The only body of water near Hogwarts was the Black Lake, so that was where the task must be taking place.

Now, all he had to do was figure out what they were going to take.

* * *

><p>Harry knew that he had to find a date quickly, or he would be stuck with someone he abhorred. So on the way to breakfast the next morning, he pulled Daphne aside and asked quickly, "Willyougototheballwithme?"<p>

Daphne smirked. "Why don't you repeat that? Slower this time."

Harry took a deep breath and asked again, "Will you go to the ball with me?"

"Well, Warrington already asked me." Harry felt his heart drop towards his shoes. "But I said no. So yes, I'll go to the Yule Ball with you." Harry's heart soared. He would be back in St. Mungo's at this rate.

"You almost gave me a heart attack," Harry admitted.

Daphne let out a laugh. "I couldn't resist. It's hilarious to see all of the boys freaking out about finding a date. Weasley asked Fleur in the middle of the corridor. Talk about humiliating. Even his sister thought it was funny. By the way, Theo asked her to the ball."

"Theo, our friend Theo, asked Ginny Weasley to the Yule Ball? Are you serious? She's a blood traitor for Merlin's sake. What was he thinking?"

"A lot of people were wondering the same thing. It was completely unexpected. But she said yes, so they're going together. Weasley threw a fit."

"I'm not surprised."

Daphne leaned towards him so she could whisper in his ear. "That's actually why he asked her. Theo's hoping to convince Ginny to join our side."

"When do we make a move on her?"

"At the end of the school year. We'll be talking to Fred and George then too."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p>While the Yule Ball fever got more intense, Harry focused on preparing for the second task. He had to figure out a way to breathe underwater for an hour.<p>

After consulting the Hogwarts library and his parents, he figured out that the best way would be to use the Bubblehead Charm. He would just have to learn to do it well, since if it weren't strong enough, the bubble would pop while he was underwater. That wouldn't be good.

Victor didn't tell him what he had planned, but told him that it related to Transfiguration. Even though Harry was amazingly talented for a fourth year, there was no way that he would try underwater Transfiguration while competing in a life-threatening tournament.

Harry wasn't sure what Fleur had planned, but he knew that she would be at a disadvantage, since she was part Veela. After all, fire and water don't mix well. She was a competitor that he could beat easily in this task.

* * *

><p>Although Harry wanted to devote his time to preparing for the second task, Daphne practically dragged him to Hogsmeade so that they could go shopping for dress robes for the Yule Ball. Harry was terrified. Luckily, Pansy and Blaise had forced Draco and Viktor to come as well.<p>

"We should get your dress robes first," Daphne said, pushing him into the nearest clothing store. Harry found himself surrounded by mannequins wearing styles of dress robes that all looked the same, but Daphne said that they were different.

"I'm lucky I don't have to go through this," Viktor said with a chuckle. "We are wearing our school dress robes for the ball."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Blaise squealed. "Now I have to match my outfit to yours!"

"Girls are scary," Viktor whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry couldn't help but nod in agreement. But to his dismay, Daphne made him help her chose a set of dress robes for him. Finally, he was forced into a set of black dress robes, black trousers, and a white shirt, and a dark green bow tie. Once the man was done tailoring the robes to perfection, Harry found that he didn't look half-bad.

Pansy had also sweet talked Draco into a set of robes. Once they were done making all of their purchases, they headed to another clothing shop, this time to purchase the girls' dresses. The girls coordinated so that they would match their dates.

By the time they finished up in Hogsmeade, the boys were ready to drop.

* * *

><p>After some rather entertaining dance lessons from Professor McGonagall, in which she forced Ron Weasley to put his arm around her waist, the fervor surrounding the Yule Ball picked up.<p>

Of course, there had to be some drama.

At the Gryffindor table, Ron shouted at Ginny, "You can't go with him! He's a bloody Slytherin! And how did you end up with such nice dress robes when mine look like they came out of a moldy closet?"

"Theo paid for mine, you dimwit! And mum and dad did the best they could with yours!" Ginny yelled back. "And it doesn't matter whether or not Theo's a Slytherin, I like him, and he likes me back!"

"Sure. His dad's a Deatheater for Merlin's sake! For all we know, he could be getting ready to kidnap you and bring you to Voldemort, just like Neville!"

"Are you joking? You're acting as if I'm some kind of idiot! Mum and dad at least pretend that they're happy for me, but you just have to barge in and act like an ass about everything!" Ginny then stormed out of the Great Hall, taking her belongings with her.

"You should probably go after her," Draco murmured in Theo's ear.

Theo nodded, and slowly stood up to follow Ginny.

"You stay away from her, you bloody Deatheater!" Ron said, pointing his wand in Theo's direction.

Theo glared at Ron and said in a low and dangerous voice, "I'm not a Deatheater, Weasley." He jerked up his sleeve to reveal the unblemished skin of his left forearm. "Now I'm going to try and undo the damage you caused, and if you try to stop me, you'll be vomiting up something worse than slugs."

Ron stood still as Theo strode out of the Great Hall in search of Ginny.

Theo didn't have to look very far. He found his date for the ball in an empty classroom on the first floor with her new dress robes clutched in her hands.

"You're going to wrinkle them if you hold onto them any tighter."

"So? That's what magic's for."

Theo managed to pry the mint green outfit out of Ginny's hands and asked, "Are you alright?"

"What do you think? My brother just humiliated me in front of everyone. You saw their faces. They think he's right. They think that you're just using me."

Theo looked down, but then looked up at Ginny's face. "He was right about one thing, though. And I need to tell you something else. But I need you to give me your word that you won't tell anyone."

Ginny took a shaky breath, but then said, "I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, swear on my life and magic to not reveal the secrets of Theodore Thaddeus Nott."

"Thank you," Theo said. He cast a privacy charm around the room, and then said, "Your brother was right. My father is a Deatheater."

"I'm not surprised."

"Bu there's something else. I'm also in service to the Dark Lord, but not as one of his men. I'm one of his six apprentices. Hopefully there will one more."

Ginny wasn't stupid. "That's why he kidnapped Neville?"

"What's more debilitating for the Light than for their future to turn against them?"

"So you are using me."

"I still care about you, Ginny. Never doubt that."

* * *

><p>Christmas morning arrived quickly. Because of the Yule Ball, Harry had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holiday. He was awoken by the sound of stumbling out of bed, and as he got up, he promptly tripped over a small box at his feet.<p>

Harry looked at the tag and saw that it bore Daphne's family crest. He ripped off the wrapping paper and found a small box. Inside was a silver necklace with a snitch charm on it, along with a note.

_Harry -_

_Hopefully, we can be more than friends._

_- Daphne_

Harry slipped the chain around his neck and then went to the bathroom to comb his hair and brush his teeth. By that time, his roommates were awake and the girls had arrived with their own presents, and they were all ready to celebrate the holiday.

"Did you like my present?" Daphne asked as Harry joined the circle.

He nodded and showed that he had already put it on.

Everyone then went about opening his or her gifts. Harry was rather happy with his haul. He got a new broom polishing kit, several sets of robes, a hat and pair gloves that were charmed to stay warm, books, and a lot of candy. But the best present of all was from his father. The note attached to it read:

_This is a two-way mirror. Simply call for me and I'll appear._

Harry did so, and sure enough, his father's face looked out at him. "I see you got it. These were Sirius'. He and James Potter used them so they could talk while they were in separate detentions. Probably why everyone thought they were so vain. Do you like it?"

"It's perfect," Harry replied.

"Good. I have to see to some business with the Dark Lord, but we can talk later."

"Sound fine. Bye, father."

"Bye, Harry."

The connection closed, and then Draco reacted. "That's bloody amazing. Two-way mirrors are hard to find, since it takes some work to charm them."

The girls left to get dressed, and the boys got ready for the day. The six of them met in the common room, and then headed to the Great Hall. On the way there, Harry asked Daphne, "Did you like my present?"

Daphne nodded and showed him the necklace with the horse charm that she had fastened around her neck. "I like it a lot."

Harry couldn't help but grin. "Great."

Unlike most holidays, the Great Hall was crowded, as almost everyone had stayed for the Yule Ball. Even some of the first and second years were there, because although no one had asked them to the Yule Ball, Dumbledore had promised them that they would have Christmas feasts in their common rooms.

Breakfast was enjoyable, and then they all had a massive snowball fight on the grounds.

But then it was time for the girls to disappear for several hours and get ready for the ball. Harry and his friends headed inside not long after the girls, but they were all dressed in a half hour.

The ball didn't begin until eight o'clock, so they had some time to relax. They simply lounged in the common room until around seven thirty, and then they girls began descending the stairs from their dormitories.

Harry's heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of Daphne. Her gown was a pretty shade of silver that made her hair seem even blonder and her eyes even brighter.

Pansy and Blaise were also there, but Harry only glanced at them before turning his gaze back to Daphne. "Come on, Harry," Theo said. "We should be getting to the entrance hall. I have to meet Ginny and Blaise has to find Viktor."

"Sounds good."

Harry offered Daphne his arm and Draco did the same for Pansy, and they left the dungeons.

Viktor was waiting for them. He was wearing his school dress robes. The pants, tunic, and cape were blood red, and the cape was trimmed in fur. His black boots had been shined to perfection. Blaise looked fantastic next to him, in her black gown that flowed to the floor.

Ginny joined them not long after they had bumped into Victor. Her red hair was styled in an elaborate braid that reached the middle of her back.

Soon, Professor McGonagall hurried everyone into the hall and then had the three champions line up. First was Fleur and her date, Roger Davies, then there was Viktor and Blaise, and then there was Harry and Daphne.

They walked into the beautifully decorated Great Hall, to the cheers of their peers, and then stood on the dance floor. The orchestra stuck up a gentle waltz, and then the champions and their dates started the opening dance.

Other couples joined them on the floor. Some were odd matches, such as Hagrid and Madame Maxim. The gamekeeper had on a horrible, hairy brown suit and was a head shorter than the tastefully dressed headmistress was.

The song ended and everyone sat down to eat. Harry and the other two champions, plus their dates, were seated with the judges and Hogwarts faculty at a table that overlooked the entire hall. Everyone had sat down at round tables that surrounded the dance floor. The floating candles had been replaced by silver chandeliers.

They ordered from the menus in front of them, and then dug in when their food popped up in front of them. Harry deflected Lockhart's attempts to start a conversation, and instead spent the whole meal talking to Victor and Roger about Quidditch.

After a while, the plates disappeared and the wizarding band, the Weird Sisters, appeared on the stage. The volume in the hall went up and they began to dance the night away. The fact that Weasley practically ignored Granger the whole night made Harry even happier.

* * *

><p>But one person wasn't having the best night. Neville huddled in his cell, pressing himself against the impenetrable stone that formed the walls around him. He had wrapped a thin blanket around his knees, but he was still shivering.<p>

Neville gritted his teeth and pulled himself to his feet. He had to do this. He didn't have a choice. It was either this, or be tortured and killed, just like his parents. He knew that they'd be rolling in their graves if they knew what he was about to do.

He banged on the door to his cell and then stepped back. The door swung open. Rabastan Lestrange stood in the doorway. "Have you made a decision?"

Neville steeled himself and nodded. "I'll join the Dark Lord."

Rabastan smirked. "Good choice. Come with me."

For the first time in a long time, Neville left the six-by-six cell. He followed Rabastan out of the dungeons to a large, cavernous room. Sitting in a large, throne-like chair at the front of the room was Voldemort.

"My lord, the Longbottom boy has made his decision."

"I'm guessing that he has decided to join our cause, since he isn't being tortured right now."

Rabastan nodded. "Are you going to instruct him with the others?"

"Yes, but he will not be returning to Hogwarts."

Neville couldn't help but exclaim, "What?"

"You've spent several months in my headquarters. Dumbledore will be aching to get his hands on you. No, you'll stay here and train. My apprentices are at Hogwarts. I'll train you and them during school holidays, otherwise Rabastan will be instructing you."

"Please let me go back to Hogwarts. I can spy on the other students..."

The Dark Lord cut him off with a wave of his hand, "My apprentices are already taking care of that. And if you return, Dumbledore will force you to either stay at Hogwarts or put you with a family that won't let you out of their sight. If you want to remain in my good graces, you'll do as you're told."

Neville gave a resigned nod. He could either listen to Voldemort, or end up back in his cell and be tortured to death. It wasn't much of a choice. "I understand."

"Good. Rabastan, have a house elf show Neville to a guest room, and then make sure he gets a clean set of clothes and something to eat." Neville noticed that he made no mention of a wand. "While he freshens up, you and I can discuss what he is going to learn."

Neville had no choice but to follow the house elf that Rabastan had called. The small creature apparated him to a large bedroom, and then disappeared. It returned a moment later with a pile of clean clothes and steaming plate of food appeared on a nearby desk.

And then he was left alone.

He found a door leading to a bathroom with a massive tub. After spending nearly an hour scrubbing his skin raw, trying to remove the dank smell that clung to him, he got dressed and enjoyed his first hot meal since he had been captured.

* * *

><p>Back at Hogwarts, the Yule Ball had just ended, and the students had returned to their dormitories or in the case of the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, their carriage and ship.<p>

Snape was in Dumbledore's office, scowling. After all, he had spent half the ball separating couples that had decided that the garden of rose bushes, created just for the ball, would be a good place to have some private moment. Ugh.

Two of those students had been Harry Black and Daphne Greengrass. Of course, they hadn't been doing anything improper, but he had still subtracted some points. Theo Nott and Ginny Weasley, on the other hand, had been doing a lot more than talking.

"What do you want, Albus? Poppy wants me to get started on some potions in preparation for the second task."

"I believe that it is time we begin working to rescue Neville Longbottom."

"Why now?

"Because it's very likely that he's still alive. Otherwise, Tom would have announced his death. You simply have to find out where he's being kept and rescue him. Whoever was guarding him will fall blame to Voldemort."

"It'll be a matter of getting him out that worries me," Snape said. "He's in the dungeons. I'd have to find a floo, that isn't too far away, that would allow me to get back to Hogwarts. Or manage to get him outside to the apparation point."

"Would you be able to go tomorrow night?"

"Yes."

Unfortunately, Phineas Nigellus was in his frame at Number Four Grimmauld Place, enjoying a lovely conversation with Lady Black, and consequently, he failed to overhear their conversation.

* * *

><p>When he woke up the next morning, Harry was very content. He dressed quickly and made sure his things were packed. He and his friends would be going to their respective homes for the remainder of the holidays. But the main reason that they were leaving Hogwarts was so that they could get in some training with Voldemort.<p>

Their parents met them in the entrance hall, and then they left the grounds and apparated home.

An hour later, they found themselves standing in front of the Dark Lord.

"I hear that you are currently winning the tournament, Harry." Harry nodded. "Continue to do so. It rather unfortunate if you got yourself would be killed. Now, I'm sure you are wondering about Neville. He has made a decision. Neville?"

The Gryffindor emerged from an adjoining chamber and stood behind Voldemort. "I've decided to join the Dark Lord," he said quietly.

"Clearly, there's more to him Gryffindor stupidity," the Dark Lord said. "He will not be returning to Hogwarts. I will train all seven of you during the school holidays, and Rabastan will train Neville the rest of the time. Now, let's go train."

But instead of leading them to their normal training room, the Dark Lord took them to his study.

"I have brought you here because we must have a discussion. Tomorrow, I will begin teaching you the three Unforgivable Curses. This means that you must understand what these curses can do, and what you have to feel to perform them. Theo, explain the Imperius Curse."

"It allows you to have total control over your target. They'll do anything you say."

"Correct. But what do you have to feel?"

"You have to want them to do what you tell them to do," Pansy answered.

"Exactly. The Unforgiveable Curses are about feeling. Neville, what does the Cruciatus Curse do?"

"It's a torture curse," Neville said. "You have to want to cause the person pain."

"The target, not the person," the Dark Lord corrected him. "But, yes you want them to feel pain. You want them to hurt. Righteous anger isn't enough. Blaise, explain the Killing Curse."

"It kills someone. It can only be blocked by a physical shield, not a magical one. It leaves no trace. You have to want the target to die."

"Good. Otherwise, all it would do is tickle. The Unforgiveable Curses are named so for a reason. If you're caught performing them, you get a one-way ticket to Azkaban. You are dismissed for the day. Think about what I have said. All of your parents will take you to Gringotts tomorrow so you can hopefully find a secondary wand in your family vaults."

Harry, Blaise, Theo, Draco, Daphne, and Pansy left, leaving Neville with the Dark Lord. "Return to your quarters. I'll figure out what to do about getting you a new wand."

Neville nodded and found his way back to his quarters. Once he stepped inside, the door closed and locked itself. Clearly, the Dark Lord didn't completely trust him just yet.

* * *

><p>Severus Snape was on a mission. He had apparated to the Dark Lord's headquarters, and walked through the corridors, clinging to the shadows as he did so. All he had to do was find Longbottom and get out. Easier said than done.<p>

He disillusioned himself, and then crept down the stairs that led to the dungeons. He looked into each cell. No Longbottom. That wasn't good. Maybe the Dark Lord had killed him, and was just waiting to announce it.

He cursed quietly, retraced his steps, and returned to Hogwarts. He knew that Dumbledore was not going to be pleased.

What Snape didn't know was that that he hadn't been the only invisible person in the room. The Dark Lord sneered as he watched his prized Potions master leave. It would be a shame to have to kill him, but it was unavoidable.

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><p><strong>I hoped you liked this chapter. Review, please.<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. And I know this chapter's taken a while, so thanks for your patience. Life is really shitty right now, so I'm having a bit of a tough time writing.**

**Warnings: Some minor language and violence. **

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**What Snape didn't know was that that he hadn't been the only invisible person in the room. The Dark Lord sneered as he watched his prized Potions master leave. It would be a shame to have to kill him, but it was unavoidable.**

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><p><span>CHAPTER 11<span>

A month after everyone had returned from the holidays, it was time for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. In that time, the _Daily Prophet_, more specifically, Rita Skeeter, had broken the news of Harry and Daphne's teenage romance.

The morning of the second task, Harry put on a black swimsuit and pulled on his outfit form the first task, sans body armor, over it. He made sure to have his wand, and the knife that the Dark Lord had given him. At breakfast, he was expected to see Daphne, as she had promised to wish him good luck, but she wasn't there. Blaise wasn't there either, so Viktor was distracted as well.

Fleur must have noticed their confusion, as she joined them at the Slytherin table. "It's 'what they took'. They took the person most dear to us."

"Who did they take from you?" Harry asked her.

"My little sister, Gabrielle," Fleur replied. "She's only twelve!"

Several minutes later, it was time for Harry, Fleur, and Viktor to head down to the champions' tent by the lake. All of the judges, and Bagman, were there.

Crouch told them, "If you did not figure out the clue by now, you must go into the Black Lake and rescue something that has been taken from you."

"Or someone," Fleur practically growled.

"Well, umm...yes," Crouch said. "Or someone. Let's head out to the platform."

Wooden rowboats brought them to the platform that stood in the middle of the lake. "You will start when the cannon sounds. The clock stops when you and the person you are rescuing return to the platform." Crouch said.

Soon, professors and students began to fill the stands above the platforms. It was almost time for the task to begin.

This time, Harry wasn't nervous. All he had to do was find Daphne and get out. The only creatures he would have to deal with were grindylows and the giant squid, if it was in a bad mood. He was more worried about sustaining the Bubblehead Charm, but he was sure he could do it. He smirked when he saw Fred and George walking around and taking bets.

"Contestants, get into position."

They removed their clothes and stood in their bathing suits. Merlin, it was cold. Harry was sure that the water would be even colder. Great.

And then the cannon went off.

Harry slipped into the water, and then murmured the incantation for the Bubblehead Charm. He put his face into the water, just to make sure the charm was working. It was. With that taken care of, Harry shot through the water, using jets of hot water to help propel him.

He followed the sounds of singing and music, and ended up in the merpeople's village fifteen minutes later. It seems that Viktor had made it there already, as Blaise wasn't there. But Daphne was there, anchored to a boulder by a thick rope. A young girl who must be Fleur's sister was there as well. Both girls looked peaceful, as if they were in an enchanted sleep. They probably were.

Harry pulled his knife out of a pocket on his swimsuit and used it to shred through the rope holding Daphne down. But she still didn't wake up.

Returning to the surface took twice as long, as Harry had to carry Daphne's dead weight. But when the pair broke the surface, Daphne woke up and drew a large breath of air. "Harry, what the hell happened to me?"

Harry canceled the Bubblehead Charm and replied, "They used the person that we would miss the most."

Harry urged Daphne to swim as fast as she could to the platform. When they got there, Harry hauled himself up and then offered Daphne a hand.

"So you're telling me that they thought it would be okay to use me in the bloody tournament?"

Madame Pomfrey rushed over and wrapped each of them in several heavy blankets and forced cups of hot chocolate into their hands.

"You're not the only one," Blaise said from behind them. She and Viktor were also draped in blankets and were carrying mugs filled to the brim with steaming hot chocolate. "I was Viktor's hostage, and Fleur's was her little sister."

"This is ridiculous," Daphne said as she sipped her drink. "By the way, what happened to you?"

Both Blaise and Viktor had deep scratches running down their arms and legs.

Viktor responded, "Grindylows. My shark transfiguration wasn't enough to scare them off."

"You transfigured yourself into a shark?" Harry asked.

"Partially. Just my head and shoulders."

Harry shook his head. "I wish I could do that. Is Fleur back yet?"

"No. You and Daphne got back a few minutes after we did. The hours almost up," Blaise said.

A little while later, the cannon sounded for a second time, announcing that the hour was up. They waited and waited. Harry realized that watching the task must have been pretty boring for the spectators. After all, there was no way to know what was going on beneath the dark, glassy surface of the lake.

Finally, Fleur surfaced, practically dragging her sister behind her. She gave the girl a boost onto the platform, and then climbed on herself. Then she collapsed. Madame Pomfrey hurried over to Fleur and her sister to begin treating them both.

"Now that all of the champions have returned, here are their scores," Bagman announced. "First, Viktor Krum's scores."

Dumbledore put up a seven, Karkaroff put up a nine, Madame Maxim gave Viktor a seven, and Crouch gave him an eight, for thirty-one points. Harry had no clue what they were basing their numbers off, since they had no way of knowing what had transpired underwater. They were probably doing it based off how much they liked each contestant.

"Mr. Krum is in the lead with fifty-three points! Now for Mr. Black's scores."

Dumbledore, Madame Maxime, and Crouch each gave Harry an eight, while Karkaroff gave him a seven. The score of thirty-one points tied Harry with Viktor for the task. Harry now had a total of fifty-eight points for the entire tournament.

"It looks like Mr. Black is back in the lead! And finally, Miss Delacour's scores."

Dumbledore gave Fleur a six, Karkaroff gave her a three, Madame Maxim gave her an eight, and Crouch gave her a five.

"Miss Delacour is now in third place, with an overall total of forty-seven points," Bagman said in his amplified voice. "The third task will take place in May."

The students began to leave the stands, taking rowboats back to shore. Once it was only the champions, their hostages, and the judges left on the platform, Viktor asked a revived Fleur, "Are you alright?"

"Zee grindylows got to me. But I wasn't giving up. I had to get my sister back."

Harry was slightly surprised to see Madame Maxime arguing with Crouch. He managed to discern the words "kidnapping" and "illegal", and was able to come to his own conclusions.

"It seems like your headmistress isn't too happy either," Harry told Fleur and Gabrielle.

"I'm not surprised Dumbledore isn't defending us," Blaise said. "He probably would prefer that we had stayed at the bottom of the lake."

As they got into rowboats and returned to the castle to dry off and warm up, none of them noticed a small, jewel-toned beetle flitting away.

* * *

><p>Harry glanced over the article in the Daily Prophet about the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. After all, he had been there, so there wasn't much more to know. But then he almost choked on his bacon when he read the accompanying article, also written by Rita Skeeter.<p>

_TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT: HONOR OR HORROR?_

_ Hello again, my fabulous readers. I'm here to tell you some shocking news straight from the site of the most recent task. Apparently, none of the captives that the champions had to rescue were informed of their participation, nor were they asked. Neither were their parents._

_The half-Veela champion from Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour, seemed desperate to rescue her younger sister, Gabrielle, who is twelve. Although she returned well past the deadline and had been viscously attacked by grindylows, she still managed to complete the task._

_Her headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime, was infuriated with Bartemius Crouch, who is in charge of the Triwizard Tournament, even threatening legal action from France in defense of her students._

_And there's the students of Hogwarts. Daphne Greengrass, age fourteen, was Harry Black's to rescue, and Viktor Krum's damsel in distress was Blaise Zabini, also age fourteen. Both girls didn't seem to take too kindly at being left at the bottom of the lake. But according to Miss Zabini, their headmaster "probably would prefer that we had stayed at the bottom of the lake". _

_Is Dumbledore taking the infamous Hogwarts' house rivalry too far? Is he even fit to be headmaster if he lets this continue? Share your thoughts, my wonderful readers!_

_None of those involved could be reached for comment._

Blaise arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Reached for comment," she repeated. "None of us were asked for a bloody comment. Stupid cow."

"How on earth does she find these things out?" Daphne asked. "No one was there except for us, Viktor, Fleur, and the judges."

"At least you're not a damsel in distress," Blaise said with a shudder.

"I'm going to ask my father," Harry said. "As useful as Skeeter sometimes is, we need to find out what her secrets are."

* * *

><p>Now that the second task was over, it wouldn't be long until the third task. But until then, Harry had to focus on his schoolwork, even though he didn't have end of year exams, since he was a champion. He had to work hard to improve his Defense Against the Dark Arts grade as well, as it wouldn't do for Granger to do better than him just because Lockhart was teaching the class.<p>

* * *

><p>Eventually, the Easter holidays arrived, so they all departed from Hogwarts and went straight back to training with the Dark Lord. All of them, including Neville, had secondary wands, courtesy of their family vaults. Harry's wand had been Bellatrix Black's: twelve and three-quarter inches of walnut, with dragon heartstring core.<p>

"Before we practice the Unforgiveable Curses, let's see if you remember what else I've taught you," Voldemort said. He conjured dummies and had all seven of them practice blasting curses, the Impediment Jinx, as well as a spell that conjured metal spikes and sent them flying towards the victim.

Once they were done, the Dark Lord said, "Now it is time that we work on the Unforgiveable Curses," Voldemort said. "You know the incantations and you know what the curses can do."

Harry went first.

"Imperio!"

He felt tendrils of magic sweeping towards the cloth and stuffing, latching on like the strings attached to a marionette. 'Jump,' Harry thought, putting all of his willpower into making the dummy do what he wanted. It gave a small hop, and then Harry felt the strands of magic break away.

"Not bad," Voldemort said. "Theo?"

Theo did decently as well, as did Daphne, Pansy, Draco, and Neville. But the real surprise was Blaise. She had the dummy doing cartwheels around the room before having it slam into a wall.

"Your mother taught you well," the Dark Lord said.

Then they moved onto the Cruciatus Curse. Harry was rather glad that he was able to make the dummy jerk and twitch. But Neville did the best with the Cruciatus Curse. He probably had a lot of hate.

Then it was time for the Killing Curse. A single bolt of light from Harry's wand, and the dummy dropped to the floor. If it had been a person, they would have been dead.

After the lesson, Voldemort pulled Harry aside. "Dumbledore will probably be able to tell that you've dabbled in some Dark magic. Stay clear of him, at least until the end of the school year. By then, he'll probably send Snape to investigate."

"And that's when we'll finish him off?" Harry asked.

"We'll deal with Snape once my forces are ready to strike. And then we'll demonstrate what happens to a traitor."

* * *

><p>Upon returning to Hogwarts, after the Easter holidays, Harry, Fleur, and Victor were shown the beginnings of the third task. Hedges were growing on the previously pristine grass of the much beloved Quidditch pitch.<p>

"A maze," Victor commented.

"Correct, Mr. Krum," Mr. Crouch said. "The third task will consist of you using all of magical prowess to navigate a maze. The Triwizard Cup will be in the center, and the first person to reach it will win. Mr. Black, you are in the lead, so you will enter the maze first. Then Mr. Krum, then Miss Delacour. You'll be allowed only your wands."

"The hedges should be about nine to ten feet high by the time I'm done with 'em," Hagrid said.

Charlie added, "Some of the other professors and I will be taking care of the obstacles inside the maze itself. Trust me, it'll be difficult."

Like any other Slytherin, Harry was willing to be sneaky and cunning in order to get his way. In this case, he wanted to win the Triwizard Tournament and the glory that came with it. That meant doing what most intelligent people would do: get a map of the maze.

It wasn't that hard. All he had to do was climb to the top of the owlery, which happened to overlook the Quidditch pitch. After a few minutes of rough sketching and enduring the stench of owl dung and hay, Harry had found the fastest way to get through the maze, and then memorized it.

He was going to win.

* * *

><p>The Dark Lord had been right. Dumbledore called Snape to his office, not even a week since the students' return.<p>

"Severus, I'm worried about your fourth year Slytherins," Dumbledore said, looking over his half-moon spectacles.

"What about them?"

"Their magical signatures have become much darker. I fear that they've been introduced to the Dark Arts."

Snape snorted. "Does that surprise you? Black? Malfoy? Parkinson? They're all from Dark families. It was only a matter of time. And you know that we can't accuse them of anything. The Board of Governors would have our heads."

"Severus, I'm asking you to look around Tom's headquarters. See if anyone's seen Mr. Longbottom. While you're there, see if you can find out anything about Tom's apprentices."

Snape wasn't stupid. "You think they're the Dark Lord's apprentices? They aren't even old enough. The children I saw were at least fifteen or sixteen. And Black's in the tournament, someone would have noticed."

"Barty Crouch Jr. was practically Tom's right hand man. No one noticed, not even his father. Everyone thought that Tom Riddle was perfectly charming, until he turned around and became a killer. Remember, Severus, appearances can be deceiving."

* * *

><p>Time flew by, and before Harry knew it, it was time for him to face the darkness inside the maze.<p>

Unlike the other tasks, the third task would take place in the early evening, and the champions' families were allowed to attend. As Harry stood next to the entrance to the maze, he faced the crowd and he could see his parents' faces looking out at him.

"When the cannon sounds, Mr. Black will go into the maze. Mr. Krum will go five minutes after him, and Miss Delacour will go five minutes after Mr. Krum."

The crowd was silent, and then the cannon went off with a loud bang. Harry turned and ran through the entrance of the maze, and then heard the rustling of the hedges closing behind him, cutting off the bright lights illuminating the stands.

It was deathly silent inside the maze. Harry jogged until he reached a fork in the path. He thought back to the map he had made and emmorized, and turned left. A hazy yellow mist surrounded his path. He stepped foward anyway and suddenly, his world flipped upside down.

Harry muttered a spell to clear the air, and then the world righted itself.

He charged forward and made several turns. At one point, he saw red sparks fly into the air, not far from him. One down, one to go. He maneuvered to where he had seen the sparks and saw what had caused one of the other champions to go down.

A large acromantula stood in his way. It was much bigger than the ones he had seen in the forest several years ago. 'Bloody hell,' Harry thought. 'Are they trying to mess with me?'

He instantly went on the offensive, not giving the giant spider a chance to attack. He sent cutting curses at its legs to slow it down, and then he sent the Conjunctivitis Curse at its many eyes. The creature began to fall towards the ground, so Harry finished it off by sending a Bludgeoning Hex at its head. Dark green ooze splattered the grass. It was dead.

Harry scooted around the arachnid's twitching carcass and then jogged towards the end of the passage. He turned right, and saw a sphinx perched on top of the hedge. She turned her head towards him and said, "The fastest way to your prize is past me."

"What do you want?" Harry was a Slytherin after all. You never got anything for nothing.

"You must answer my riddle. Do you wish to hear it, or will you turn around and find a different path?"

"I wish to hear your riddle."

"Very well. What has hands, yet no legs? It tells a story, but has no mouth. It lets out sound but cannot hear itself. It has a heart, but it does not beat. Do you know what of I speak?"

Harry thought for a minute, and then smirked. Maybe the Sorting Hat should have put him in Ravenclaw. "A clock," he answered.

The sphinx nodded to him. "Very well, you may pass, and claim your prize."

Sure enough, straight ahead, waiting for him on a stone pedestal, was the Triwizard Cup. Harry rushed forward and grabbed the handle, and felt a jerk behind his navel as he was pulled out of the maze.

He landed in front of a cheering proud. His parents were the first people to leave the stands to congratulate him. All of Slytherin, and most of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, were giving him a standing ovation. Daphne left the stands and jumped into Harry's arms, leaving him no choice but to spin her around in a hug.

Crouch waited for the noise to die down, but that wasn't going to happen. So he amplified his voice and shouted, "May I present to you, Harrison Black, the winner of the Triwizard Wizard Tournament!"

* * *

><p>Harry's win made the front page of the <em>Daily Prophet<em>. Some nameless reporter had covered the actual event, but Rita Skeeter had written an article about the juicier details.

_TRIWIZARD CHAMPION OR TEENAGE HEARTHROB?_

Harry groaned when he saw a picture of him and Daphne underneath the headline.

_It seems as if the Yule Ball and the second task of the Triwizard Tournament were only the beginning of the whirlwind young romance between Harry Black and Daphne Greengrass, both fourth-year students at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Both are from very prominent pureblood families, so would it be safe to presume that there's a betrothal in the works?_

_When he returned after capturing the trophy and prizes that come with winning the Triwizard Tournament, Harry also captured the girl. Or did she capture him? Although the Greengrass family is quite wealthy, the Blacks are among the richest in wizarding Britain, maybe even Europe. Who knows, maybe Miss Greengrass is out to capture Harry's vault, not just his heart._

After Harry finished reading, one thing was for sure. He never wanted to see Daphne angry again. Her face had flushed to a dark pink and she was muttering incoherent threats against the relentless reporter.

Harry reached into his school bag and lifted out the charmed mirror. "Father!"

His father's face appeared almost instantly. "I'm guessing you've read the paper this morning. Don't worry. I already sent a letter of complaint to the editor of the _Prophet_, and I wrote a statement refuting everything Skeeter said about you. I believe Daphne's parents did the same."

"I just wish she always manages to be there. I didn't even see her at the third task."

"Me either. That's why I looked at my memory from last night in my Pensieve. There are too many people around to tell you what I found out, but you'll find out everything in a few days at the latest."

"So you've figured everything out?"

His father nodded. "Everything's taken care of. Enjoy your breakfast and have a good day. Bye."

"Bye." Harry turned to Daphne and said, "Calm down. Our parents have everything under control."

"Under control? Skeeter called me a gold digger and you're saying that everything's under control?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I said that our parents dealt with it. I don't know what they did, but it sounds like Skeeter won't be bothering anyone anymore."

Sure enough, the article that appeared two days later in the paper caused a smile to reappear on Daphne's face, replacing the scowl.

_SKEETER DISMISSED FROM DAILY PROPHET STAFF, ARRESTED_

Accompanying the article was a perfect picture by scarlet-robed Aurors hauling Rita Skeeter out of her plush office. The picture credit went to her photographer, Bozo.

_We at the Daily Prophet would like to apologize to our readers, especially anyone who was wrongfully defamed by Rita Skeeter, a former employee of this newspaper. It has been discovered that Skeeter is an illegal Animagus. Skeeter's form is a beetle, which she has confessed to have used to gather information that she would not have otherwise been privy to._

_In another shocking twist in events, Skeeter has named Gilderoy Lockhart as someone who had helped her cover up her crimes by performing memory charms on anyone who learned of Skeeter's Animagus form. Both Lockhart and Skeeter are under investigation._

_Again, we at the Daily Prophet deeply apologize for our former employee's transgressions._

Copies of the paper circulated around the Great Hall. The moment Lockhart finished reading his copy, he jumped out of his seat and started to make a getaway. But the Aurors arrived and he was taken into custody.

"Finally," Blaise said. "I thought we'd never be rid of him."

* * *

><p>After the end-of-year exams, which Harry didn't have to take since he had participated in the tournament, it was time to leave Hogwarts. The morning of their departure, Harry and his friends walked down to the Hogwarts Express and found their usual, roomy compartment.<p>

"We should talk to the Fred, George, and Ginny now," Harry said. "Dumbledore's not here, and once we get to London, their parents and Ron will be around, so they can't be seen talking to us."

"I'll go find Ginny," Theo said.

Pansy said, "Draco and I will go find the twins."

The three of them left the compartment and returned with the three Weasleys in tow.

"Why do-"

"-you want-"

"-to talk-"

"-to us?"

"Don't worry, I'll explain." Harry said. "Please sit down." He cast silencing and privacy spells on the entirety of the compartment, so they wouldn't be overheard.

"So what do you need to tell us?" Ginny asked.

"It has to do with what side our families are on," Theo said.

"And what side the three of you could be on," Blaise added.

"Are you telling us that we should join Voldemort?"

Harry nodded. "I can tell you right now that he's going to win. It's that simple. You should want to be on the winning side."

George said, "But why-"

Fred added, "-are you-"

"-talking to us about that?" the twins finished asking together.

"We'll need a wizard's oath first," Draco said.

The twins rolled their eyes, and so did Ginny, but they each said, "We swear on our lives and magic to not reveal the secrets of Theodore Nott, Draco Malfoy, Harry Black, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, or Daphne Greengrass."

"Thank you," Harry said. "We can't let this information get out."

"So tell us what this information is," Ginny said.

Theo said, "Ginny, you already know this, but the six of us are the Dark Lord's apprentices, along with Neville. He's been training us for a while now. You three are talented and we help from students who aren't in Slytherin."

"But what about our parents?" Fred asked. "You know what side they're on."

"That will be for the Dark Lord to decide," Daphne said.

"Do we have some time to think about this?" George asked, clearly conflicted.

"Yes, but you should make a decision as soon as possible. The Dark Lord doesn't like to be kept waiting."

The three Weasleys left the compartment to ponder their choices. When the train arrived in London and they met up with their parents, it was clear that they were on edge, but their parents and Ron remained blissfully unaware. For now, at least.

After they stopped by their homes, Harry and his friends met with the Dark Lord.

"I understand that you have news for me?"

Harry nodded. "We spoke to Ginny, Fred, and George Weasley. They said that they'd think about it and get back to us as soon as possible. They've taken a wizard's oath not to tell anyone."

"Good, good. We won't be doing any spell work today, as I have a meeting. Instead, you'll go to Malfoy Manor and Remus will help you with your summer homework. Neville, you'll work with Rabastan. The seven teenagers nodded and left.

Then Voldemort had his meeting. It was with Snape. It had been a long time since he had personally summoned Snape.

"Hello, my lord," Snape said in greeting.

"Hello to you to Severus. I trust that you are well. What is Dumbledore having you do now?"

"The same that he always has. Making potions for Madam Pomfrey and keeping an eye on the older Slytherins who may join you. He seems to think that your apprentices may be among them."

_Liar._ Unfortunately, there was no way for Voldemort to break through the shields around Snape's mind and force the truth out of him. The man was a master Occulmens.

"Really? And what's he doing about the Longbottom boy? Surely he hasn't forgotten about him."

"He's still searching, but hasn't confided anything in me," Snape replied.

_Liar._ "Very well. Good thing no one's be skulking around the headquarters trying to find him. Because they never will. And anyone sticking their nose in places they're not supposed to will be punished severely. You're dismissed, Severus."

All color had left Snape's face, and he practically fled the meeting chamber and apparated back to Hogwarts.

"Albus! Albus!"

By the time Snape reached the headmaster's office, he was shaking and rivulets of sweat were sliding down his face.

"What is it Severus?"

"The Dark Lord. He knows. He said that no one looking for Longbottom would be able to find him. He knows I was there. Albus, he's going to kill me!"

"Severus, calm down." Dumbledore snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared with a cup of tea, which Snape took gratefully. "As long as you stay at Hogwarts, Tom can't hurt you."

"His apprentices are here. A fact that he didn't deny. I'm teaching the little bastards and I don't know who they are. They could be anyone in Slytherin!"

"Severus! As long as you are a teacher of Hogwarts, you are under my protection. Tom will not be able to hurt you."

"But what if he calls me again? Then what am I supposed to do? Ignore it? People who ignore the Dark Lord end up dead."

"We'll figure out what to do when that happens, but until then, don't worry. Everything will be alright."

* * *

><p>"I wonder who's going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts now that Lockhart's locked away for the next twenty years," Blaise wondered aloud.<p>

"Hopefully someone competent," Draco said. "It's our O.W.L. year, after all."

Pansy said, "Did you hear that Snape only let's people into N.E.W.T. Potions if they get an outstanding on their O.W.L.? It's absolutely ridiculous."

"We shouldn't have any trouble, since we have Remus to help us," Harry said.

"Luck for us," Pansy said.

* * *

><p>Harry and his friends waited on edge for Fred, George, and Ginny to reply to their offer. So when Harry got a letter from the three Weasleys, he took it straight to the Dark Lord. All seven teenagers waited on edge for Voldemort to reveal the Weasleys' decision.<p>

The Dark Lord scanned the page and then announced, "Your friends have decided to join the winning side. Now we just need to figure out what to do next."

Harry, Pansy, Draco, Blaise, Daphne, Theo, and Neville allowed themselves to crack small, yet triumphant, grins.

"They'll need protection at school. Once people see that they're friends with you, they'll begin to get suspicious. Especially Dumbledore and his is pet spy. This summer, get Remus to start teaching them the basics of Occulmency."

"What if their parents object?" Draco asked. After all, the feud between the Malfoys and the Weasleys was well known.

"It shouldn't be too hard to come up with an excuse. And after some investigating on Lucius' part, I've discovered who your Against the Dark Arts professor will be next year."

"Who?" Theo asked.

"Dolores Umbridge, currently Fudge's Senior Undersecretary. She's a nasty, cruel, bigoted woman."

"Which is a good thing, I'm guessing," Harry said.

"Correct. She's going to favor you because of your parents' influence on Fudge's upcoming reelection campaign. You'll be able to get away with almost anything."

"And it means she's going to hate people like Weasley and Granger."

"Exactly. Umbridge may not be the best thing to ever happen to Hogwarts, but she'll definitely help our cause."

* * *

><p>Ginny, Fred, and George were unable to convince their parents that tutoring sessions at Malfoy Manor would be a good idea. The solution? They would be having them at the Burrow, the Weasleys home, instead.<p>

This meant that Remus couldn't teach them Occulmency directly, but he could give them instructions through bits of parchment tucked into their schoolbooks.

Of course, since they were at the Weasleys home a confrontation with Ron was bound to happen.

The redhead came home from a week at Seamus Finnegan's house and walked into the kitchen to see the sixth Slytherins eating lunch with Ginny and the twins. The fact that Theo and Ginny's hands were intertwined didn't help.

"Mum! What in Merlin's name are they doing here?"

"They're here with their tutor," Mrs. Weasley explained, "The twins and Ginny were offered free tutoring for the summer."

"Who on earth would tutor them?"

"That would be me," Remus said, stepping out of the fireplace and brushing ash off his robes. He was definitely less shabby then he had been when he had first gone to work for the Malfoys, but he had refused to live a complete life of luxury. He worked for everything he had. The fact that he got to teach his best friends' son was an added bonus.

"Who are you?" Ron asked.

"Remus Lupin. Private tutor for the Black, Malfoy, Greengrass, Parkinson, Zabini, and Nott families. They wanted their friends to benefit from my instruction over the summer, so here I am. Mrs. Weasley, is it alright if they work outside today?"

"You know that you can still call me Molly, Remus. And here's fine, they're just finishing up a quick lunch. Would you like any?"

Remus gave her a brief, yet friendly smile. "Alright, Molly it is. And sure, I'll have a quick bite to eat."

"Mum! They're Slytherins! And Black and Malfoy are as dark as they come."

"Ronald, they're your siblings' friends, and I won't have you talking badly about them in this house. Now either come eat or go upstairs."

Ron took the second option and disappeared up the stairs. A door slammed a few minutes later.

"Sorry about that," Mrs. Weasley said. "Remus, I made beef sandwiches and potatoes. Would you like some tea too?"

"Tea sounds good. Thank you Molly."

Once the teenagers finished eating, Remus sent them outside with their remaining summer homework. He stayed in the kitchen to eat and chat with Mrs. Weasley.

"I take it that Dumbledore's been asking after me."

Mrs. Weasley wrung the worn dishcloth between her hands. "He's been asking about you, but all he wants is for you to rejoin the Order. We need you."

"You mean that Dumbledore needs a pet werewolf to join his pet spy."

"Greyback's been recruiting again," Mrs. Weasley said in a hushed voice. "Dumbledore thinks he'll start attacking people soon. He just needs you to help stop him."

"Molly, my life changed when I went to work for the Malfoys. As much as I hate to say it, I owe them. I have a place to live, a job. I get to be around Harry. I can't fight against them after they've given me so much."

"But you won't be fighting against them-"

Remus cut her off. "I'll be fighting against Voldemort, which is essentially the same thing. It's no secret that the Malfoys support him. And the Blacks do as well. I can't fight against Harry's family."

"But what about Lily? And James? And Sirius? They'd be rolling in their graves if they heard you now!"

"They'd want me to stand by their son and do what's best for him. I'm sorry Molly. I can't go back. Now excuse me, I'm going to make sure they're doing their work."

Remus pushed his stair away from the scrubbed wood table and went outside to oversee his students for the summer.

While Remus had been talking to Mrs. Weasley, Harry did something he had meant to do since winning the Triwizard Tournament. He removed the moneybag from his satchel and pushed it towards Fred and George. "You told me that you lost your savings. So here are my winnings from the tournament. I haven't touched a cent."

"That's-"

"-a thousand-"

"-galleons!"

"And it's all yours," Harry said. "Consider it an investment. Go and open your joke shop. If you give me ten percent of the profits, I'll be happy."

"You've got to be kidding," Fred said.

"I don't think he's kidding, Fred," George said. "I think he's mad."

Harry responded, "I'm not mad. Really, I want you to have it. That should be enough to start a mail order business, and from there you can set up shop somewhere in Diagon Alley."

"Bloody-"

"-hell."

The twins would have said more, but Remus came outside and it was time to get to work.

* * *

><p>At the end of July, Harry celebrated his birthday and the arrival of his Hogwarts letter. To his surprise, a silver badge with a 'P' on it tumbled out of the envelope.<p>

At their lesson with Remus, the werewolf announced that they would be making a trip to Diagon Alley instead of sitting down and learning. As they looked over their booklists, Daphne noticed the tiny sliver of silver peeking out of Harry's pocket.

"You're a prefect too?"

Harry nodded and then smiled when Daphne present her matching badge. Honestly, he had expected Dumbledore to make Theo prefect. But Theo didn't mind much, as prefect duties would have hindered his abilities to come up ways to harass Ron.

They apparated to Diagon Alley so they could start shopping. The twins, having passed their apparation tests, took Ginny, While Remus made three trips to get Harry and Daphne, Draco and Pansy, and Blaise and Theo.

It was good that they had ordered their books in advance, as the lines at Flourish & Blotts were longer than usual. Remus flipped through the book that Umbridge had assigned for all seven years and instantly declared it the biggest piece of shit he had ever read.

From the bookstore, they went to Madam Malkin's to be fitted for new school robes, and the apothecary to stock up on potions ingredients. They stopped by a smaller shop to get parchment, quills, and ink, and they all went by the Magical Menagerie to pick up treats for their various pets. There, Theo surprised Ginny with a present: a tiny, black kneazle kitten named Mischief.

From there they went to Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they ran into Warrington.

"You're going to be our captain this year?" Harry asked.

Warrington nodded. "You better believe it, Black. And we have to find a new chaser and two new beaters. So expect to work hard this year."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

They finished browsing the store, and then left to get lunch at one of Diagon Ally's more upscale cafes. After that, they were done for the day, so they headed home.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. **

**Warnings: There's definitely some bad language in this chapter.**

**Note: "Speaking" / 'Thoughts'**

_**Last Time: **_**They finished browsing the store, and then left to get lunch at one of Diagon Alley's more upscale cafes. After that, they were done for the day, so they headed home.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER 12<span>

On September first, Harry and his friends met on the platform with their luggage. They boarded the train and found a roomy compartment. After stowing their luggage, they went looking for the Weasleys.

"There they are," Theo said. Sure enough, Ginny, Fred, and George were standing with the rest of their red headed family. Ron looked more than put out. It was probably the fact that his siblings had new clothes, trunks, and pets.

"We have the prefects meeting soon," Daphne said. "Want to head there now?"

Harry nodded and they left their friends to go to the prefects' compartment at the front of the train. They were the first ones there, except for the Head Boy and Girl, Eddie Carmichael from Ravenclaw and Alicia Spinnet from Gryffindor.

Harry and Daphne greeted them and sat down at the round table. Eventually, the other prefects trickled into the room. From their year, the Gryffindor prefects were Hermione and Dean, the Ravenclaw prefects were Mandy Brocklehurst and Terry Boot, and the Hufflepuff prefects were Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan.

Once the train started moving, everyone had settled down, and Eddie and Alicia started the meeting.

"So first of all, house rivalries have no place here," Alicia said, looking between the Gryffindor and Slytherin prefects. "We're here to help run the school. You were made prefects because you're a good example for other students ."

Hermione snorted and so did Harry. 'I wonder what kind of strings Lucius had to pull to get me here,' Harry thought to himself.

"The first order of business is scheduling a patrol schedule for the train. We'll make a corridor patrol schedule for after curfew later this week once everyone has their timetables."

Harry and Daphne ended up with the time slot right after the meeting ended. And who were they with? Hermione and Dean. Fantastic.

After they made the patrol schedule for the train, the meeting turned towards other things. "Remember, Alicia said, you can dock points and assign detentions. Don't abuse this power. You can't take away more than five points per student at a time, or assign more than two detentions at a time."

"And always try to find Alicia or me if the situation's more serious. Don't try to handle it on your own."

After a few more guidelines and announcements, they were released from the meeting. Harry and Daphne got up and approached Hermione and Dean.

Hermione snapped, "What do you want, Black?"

"We have to patrol with them for the first half hour, Hermione," Dean reminded her.

"Fine. I still don't know how you were made prefect."

"Me either," Harry responded. "You can start here. We'll start at the back."

Harry and Daphne made their escape and walked down the aisle to the very back of the train.

"She is such a nightmare," Daphne muttered as they glanced into compartments and checked on the younger students. A third of the way down the train, they had to step into a compartment to let the woman pushing the candy trolley pass.

"Oy! Black! What the fuck are you doing here?"

Of all compartments to step into, they had to step into this one.

"We're on patrol, Weasley," Daphne informed him. "We're prefects, in case you didn't notice."

"Then go patrol somewhere else," Seamus said, standing up to back Ron. "This is our compartment."

"Don't worry, we will," Harry said.

Daphne added, "I doubt it's 'your' compartment though. Everyone knows that the Weasleys don't have two knuts to rub together."

Ron raised his wand and sent a spell at Daphne's head. She ducked, and then turned around. She was absolutely furious. "Watch where you point that. Things can end up going rather badly for you."

Harry decided to add a final insult to the situation. "That's five points from Gryffindor, for attacking another student. Looks like your house is starting out in the negatives before the year even starts. Have a good trip.'"

With that, Harry and Daphne left the compartment as quickly as possible and finished their patrol. Then they returned to their own group of friends to vent about Weasley.

"He sent a stunner at her head. Honestly, you'd think that he was an idiot or something."

"Newsflash Harry, Weasley is an idiot," Theo said. "But I do wonder where he learned how to perform a stunning spell. He isn't the brightest of the bunch."

"That's easy," Pansy said. "Dumbledore. He's probably doing as much recruiting at Hogwarts as the Dark Lord is. And Ron Weasley's a prime target. He comes from a traditionally Light family and he's an exemplary Gryffindor: headstrong and stupidly brave. And even though he's an imbecile, a little training will make him halfway decent at dueling."

"Unfortunately," Harry said. "I feel like we'll have to be watching our backs around him this year."

* * *

><p>That evening, the Hogwarts Express chugged into Hogsmeade Station, and the older students went up to the castle in carriages while the first years crossed the lake in boats.<p>

They all entered the Great Hall for the feast, and the small first years, who all looked quite nervous, were sorted into houses. After the students finished eating, Dumbledore stood to give his start of term remarks.

"Welcome to another term at Hogwarts. I would like all returning students to remember that the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, forbidden. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch has added twenty-nine items to his list of banned items, including all Zonko's and Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes products." Here, the headmaster's eyes twinkled. "In addition, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, after Gilderoy Lockhart's unfortunate departure last year. I am pleased to introduce Professor Dolores Umbridge."

"More like Umbitch," Theo muttered in Harry's ear.

Dumbledore continued his speech after the unenthusiastic applause died down. "Now, why don't-"

A small cough interrupted him. "Hem, hem." Their new professor rose from her seat. She was wearing robes that were a horrible shade of pink, and her stiff, mousy brown curls were adorned with a black velvet bow. Not to mention that she looked like an oversized toad. "Professor Dumbledore, do you mind if I say a few words?" Umbridge asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"Of course not." Dumbledore gave her a tight smile and allowed her to step up to the podium.

"It's so nice to see all of your bright, smiling faces looking up at me," she said. Harry looked around the room. Not many people were smiling. "Now I'm sure that you all know that things are changing at Hogwarts, and that they're changing for the better. I'm sure that we all agree that progress just for the sake of progress should be frowned up. I look forward to teaching all of you in this excellent environment for learning."

Then the toad sat down and Dumbledore resumed his speech. "As I was about to say, it is late and you will have classes to attend in the morning. Off you trot."

Their friends went ahead to the common room, but Harry and Daphne had to corral the nine new Slytherins and lead them to the dungeons.

Once they were in the common room, Harry and Daphne presented almost the same speech Miranda and Lyle and given them. "It's an honor to be in Slytherin," Harry said, "no matter what the other houses may say. Daphne and I will take you around to your classes for the first week, but after that you're on your own."

"And come to us or Professor Snape, our head of house, if you have a problem. Now it's time for bed. Boys' dormitories are down the corridor on the left, and girls' are down the corridor to the right."

The first years filed out of the room and headed to their beds. Most of them seemed about to drop. It had been a rather long and exciting day for them, after all.

Harry and Daphne stayed in the common room with their friends and the other older students.

"So it seems like the rumors are true. Umbridge is here to stir things up at Hogwarts," Montague said. "The other professors clearly aren't happy."

"Of course not. The Ministry's practically inserting their own agent inside Hogwarts, a place where the Ministry's never had any modicum of control before," Warrington responded. "I suggest that we try to stay on her good side. The only way to get along with people like her is to let them think that they're getting what they want."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Harry and Daphne woke up early so they could lead the first years down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Snape was there to pass out their schedules. The first years stared at their schedules in interest, and Harry managed to decipher from their chatter that they had Charms first, followed by Herbology.<p>

Soon, other students began entering the Great Hall, so Harry and Daphne left their younger charges and sat with their friends.

"Surely we weren't as annoying at that age," Blaise said.

"You were," Montague said. "And you still are."

Harry and Daphne had to eat quickly, as they had to lead the first years to their class early. Once they got all of them to the Charms classroom, they made their way to their first O.W.L. level class, Arithmacy with Professor Vector.

Once the bell rung for class to begin, the professor waved her wand and the door closed. "This is your O.W.L. year. I expect nothing less but excellence. Do not expect to be able to slack off this year, because that isn't possible. Anyone seeking to return to the class for your N.E.W.T.'s must score at least an 'E' on the O.W.L. Now open your books to page three and begin working on the first problem set."

The classroom was almost silent as the students pulled quills, parchment, and their textbooks out of their bags and began working on the numbers. At the end of the class, no one had finished.

"I expect you to be able to work of this length for the O.W.L., as I assure you, the exam will be significantly harder than the work you just did. Finish pages three, four, and five for the next class. Have a good day."

The students filed out, shaking their heads. Even Hermione had to admit that it was hard. Next, they had Potions with Professor Snape. Harry and Daphne had to dash to get the first years from their Charms classroom, and then they had to hustle them across the grounds to the greenhouses. By the time they got to Potions, Snape had closed the door to the classroom. Never a good sign.

Harry pushed open the classroom door with Daphne following close behind him. "Sorry we're late sir, we were escorting the first years to Herbology."

Snape merely nodded and said, "You're excused, instructions are on the board."

Harry and Daphne hurried to their desks and pulled out their equipment as quickly as possible.

But Ron decided to object to Snape's blatant favoritism. "You can't let them get away with being late like that! Hermione walked in a second late and you took five points each from Gryffindor!"

"And that will be another five points for your rudeness, Weasley," Snape said.

Harry spotted Hermione giving Ron a sharp kick underneath the table. But that didn't deter the redhead, and he kept talking. "It's bloody ridiculous! They were probably in a broom cupboard somewhere!"

Harry's wand flashed into his hand. "Say another word Weasley, and you won't be able to speak again."

Ron also pulled out his wand.

"Put. Your. Wands. Away," Snape ground out. "Get to work, or you'll find yourself out of this class faster than you can say 'cauldron'."

Harry was seething as he sat down next to Daphne at their worktable. They worked on their individual potions, and both of them managed to hand in somewhat decent samples at the end of the class.

"I expect one and a half feet on this potion for the next class," Snape said as they handed their potions in. "Dismissed."

The Gryffindors filed out of the classroom behind the Slytherins, making sure that they wouldn't be cursed in the back.

"This isn't over, Black," Ron called from behind them. "You're going to wish that you never messed with me."

"Because he's such a bloody genius," Pansy said. "We'll see you two at lunch, right?"

Harry and Daphne nodded and then went to the greenhouses to retrieve the first-years from their class and bring them inside for lunch. They sat down with their friends and Theo pointed out, "We have Umbitch next."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Blaise said in response.

As lunch ended, Harry and Daphne brought the first years to Transfiguration, and then went to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

They were early, so they simply chose to sit in two desks near the front of the room and wait until their friends arrived.

Umbridge stood up from behind her desk. "Mr. Black, Miss Greengrass, may I ask why you are early?"

Daphne forced a respectful smile onto her face and said, "We were escorting the first years to their class, and it made more sense for us to come here than to go all the way back to the Great Hall."

Umbridge nodded and returned to her seat. The bell rang and their classmates began to file inside. The Slytherins sat on one side of the room and the Gryffindors sat on the other.

"Good afternoon, class!" Umbridge said in that sickly sweet voice of hers. The class mumbled a response. Instead of continuing to that day's lesson, Umbridge said, "I expect a proper response when I greet you. Good afternoon, class."

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chorused back to her.

"Much better. Now, wands away, quills and parchment out. Begin reading page two in your textbook and take notes as you do so."

Ron looked indignant, but another kick to the shins, courtesy of Hermione, kept him silent.

When the class ended, Ron waited until they were clear of the classroom, and Umbridge, to air his grievances.

"There's going to be a war out there soon! And she's trying to shove a book down our throats? You-Know-Who's out there and he's getting stronger every day. How are we supposed to fight the bastard if we know absolutely nothing?"

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed before shushing him.

"Do you have something to say about the Dark Lord, Weasley?" Harry asked in a low voice.

"Everyone knows that side you're on, Black," Ron said.

Dean sighed from the back of the Gryffindor group. "Can't we just focus on doing well on our O.W.L.'s and not on the big, bad, evil maniac that's out there?"

"You should listen to your friend, Weasley," Pansy said.

"You don't understand Dean. You-Know-Who hasn't killed any of your family." He looked straight at Harry. "He killed your parents! How can you let that go?"

"For the thousandth time, my parents are Regulus Black and Julia Black." Harry turned on his heel and led the way into the Great Hall, his friends following closely behind him.

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione said, "Why do you always try to antagonize them?"

Dean added, "No offense, but all of them can kick your ass."

"Who's side are you on?" Ron snapped.

Dean shrugged. "I really don't care."

After they finished eating lunch, Harry and Daphne had to bring the first years to Transfiguration, and then they joined their friends in Charms with Professor Flitwick. At the beginning of class, the diminutive professor emphasized the importance of doing well on their O.W.L.'s.

"If you want to make it into my N.E.W.T. Charms class, you need to score at least an 'E' on the O.W.L., but of course, always aim for an 'O'."

Instead of practicing new material, they spent the lesson reviewing what they had learned the previous year.

Then the first day of the new school year came to a close, and Harry and Daphne were finally free to unwind from their day of escorting the first years. But then they had to go to a prefects meeting in order to get their patrol schedules. As they were the most junior of the group, the fifth years had the worst hours, and, of course, Alicia and Eddie simply had to put the Slytherins and Gryffindors together.

The only good part of the whole situation was that because they were the youngest and because it was their O.W.L. year, they only had to patrol one night a week, as opposed to the seventh years, who had to do two, and the sixth years had to do three.

After the meeting, Harry and Daphne went back to the common room to do the loads of homework assigned to them by their professors. It was going to be a tough year.

* * *

><p>A week later, Warrington posted an announcement for Quidditch tryouts. They would take place a week from Friday. With Warrington and Draco returning as chasers, Jessica returning as keeper, and Harry returning as seeker, they need to fill the remaining chaser position and find two beaters.<p>

It would be easier said than done, as most of the younger students were small compared to the rest of the team, so it would be tough finding someone big enough to play without being flattened.

A week later, Harry wasn't too surprised to see Montague and Higgs show up for tryouts. There had been a rumor going around that Higgs was working on improving his chasing skills, and that Montague was going to try out for beater.

"So the rumors are true," Jessica said. "You two are trying out again."

"Well, after being shown up by people two years younger than us, we thought we'd give it another shot," Montague said.

"Beater, right?" Harry asked.

"Correct."

No surprise there. Besides, Montague was definitely strong enough, and he could be vicious when he needed to be.

Warrington snapped as he walked onto the pitch, "Returners with me, potentials over there." He then forced a few first years, who had snuck into tryouts with borrowed brooms, to leave. That left just under a dozen people vying for a spot on the team.

"Potentials, five laps around the pitch. Returners, we'll go after them."

Once they finished flying laps, Warrington eliminated three more potential players, as they couldn't fly without wobbling. Then they split up by position. Harry simply spent the time playing with his practice snitch, as he had no competition. A half hour later, Warrington called them all down and said, "The roster will be posted tomorrow. I don't want to hear any shit about it."

Then he dismissed them and then they were off to enjoy the rest of their Saturday.

* * *

><p>True to his word, Warrington posted the roster for that year's Quidditch team in the common room the next day. The chasers were Warrington, Draco, and Higgs. Jessica was keeper. Harry was seeker. The two beaters were Montague and a third year named Jack Hayworth.<p>

That night, however, Jack stumbled into the common room, clutching his hand.

Warrington jumped up and grabbed the younger player. He was responsible for the well-being of everyone on his team. They had to win the Quidditch Cup, after all. "What happened?"

"Detention with Umbridge."

"What did you do?" Warrington asked. Jessica joined them and tried to pry Jack's good hand off his injured one.

"I didn't finish the homework for today, so I had to have detention with her tonight."

Jessica succeeded in revealing the extent of his injuries, but then she gasped. "Merlin, I don't believe it. That bitch!"

Harry decided to get from his seat by the fireplace to investigate. His reaction was nearly the same as Jessica's when he saw the phrase _'I will do my work' _carved onto the back of Jack's right hand.

"A blood quill," Theo hissed. "The Wizengamot declared blood quills illegal ninety-seven years ago. And she brings one into a school. I doubt Fudge knows about her little piece of contraband."

"Are you alright?" Jessica asked Jack.

The younger boy nodded. "I'll be fine."

"You should go to Madam Pomfrey," Warrington said. "She'll know something that will help. Hopefully it won't scar."

"Pomfrey will know what caused it," Blaise said. "Harry, why don't you go with him, and help convince her that she shouldn't tell just yet. You're a prefect, so she'll probably at least think about listening to you."

Jessica's eyes narrowed. "What are you thinking?"

"But what if other people have had detention with her? We'll have a more solid case when it's time to bring it to the Wizengamot. And if people from all of the houses are involved, and we initiated the investigation, people might like us a little more than we already do," Blaise replied.

"Sounds good to me. Jack, come on." Harry led the injured third year to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey must have had some kind of ward on the door, or some kind of special healer sense, because she left her office the moment they arrived.

"What is it?"

"His hand."

Harry got Jack to show the school nurse his hand, which thankfully didn't elicit another gasp. Instead, she simply shook her hand. "You're the fourth tonight, the ninth overall this week."

"Really?" Harry asked. "Who else?"

"You know that I'm not at liberty to discuss my patients with you, Mr. Black. Now, come along Mr. Hayworth, you'll be out of here in a half hour or so. You just need a quick soak in Murtlap Essence."

Harry followed Jack and the matron around to the back of the hospital wing, where a pair of redheaded twins was soaking their writing hands in a thin, yellow liquid.

"If it isn't-"

"-our favorite-"

"-Slytherin."

"Let me guess," Harry said. "You had detention with Umbridge?"

"They refuse to say," Madam Pomfrey said. She got a clean basin and filled it with the yellow liquid. Then she had Jack sit down and soak his hand. Afterwards, she returned to her office, leaving the four boys alone.

Harry told them, "You're not going to get in trouble. Blood quills are illegal, so if we bring this to the Ministry's attention, Umbridge will be sacked and then we could actually get a decent teacher. And it will make Slytherin look good, of course."

"Clever, Harry," Fred said.

"Do you know who's had detention with her so far?"

"It was just Fred, myself, and your friend Jack tonight," George replied. "Fred and I have had it every night for the past week. I know Angelina's had at least one or two with the witch, and so has Jordan. Ron's lucky that he has Hermione to keep him in line, otherwise he'd be here with us. Dean and Finnegan had detention earlier this week. That's it for Gryffindor."

"She got Hannah Abbot and Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff," Fred continued. "They must be hiding it from Susan Bones, since she'd run straight to her aunt if there was any hint of there being anything nasty going on. And Umbridge doesn't want to get on Malfoy's bad side, so her only victim from Slytherin has been Jack."

Harry asked, "And what about Ravenclaw?"

"They're too smart to mess with Umbridge," was the twins' unanimous response.

"Thanks, both of you. I'll call my father tonight and I'll see what we can do." Harry then settled into an empty chair and waited until Jack was done with his treatment. Once he was done, they returned to the common room for the night.

After everyone else had gone to bed, Harry and his friends met in the common room in their pajamas.

"Father," Harry said into his mirror.

His father's face appeared a few moments later. "Harry do you know what time it is?"

"Sorry father, but it's an emergency. Umbridge has been making students write lines in detention using a blood quill in her detentions."

"How did you find this out?"

"A Slytherin third year came back from detention and showed us his hand. Apparently 'he will do his work'."

"And I'm guessing you want me to bring this to the Ministry's attention?"

"Actually, the Wizengamot. Fudge probably didn't know about it, so he may try to sweep things under the rug. She does work for him, after all."

"Do you have any evidence?"

Harry hadn't thought about that. The one time he wouldn't mind having Creevey, that annoying little brat, around.

"Memories are admissible in court, right?" Theo suggested. "They can be used to supplement a witness' testimony."

"That's true, Theo," Regulus said. "How many students have had detention with her?"

Harry replied, "Nine this week. There may be more, but I doubt it, since not many people get detention so early in the school year."

"Who are the nine?"

"The Gryffindors are Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Jordan Lee, Angelina Johnson, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnegan. The Hufflepuffs are Hannah Abbott and Justin Finch-Fletchley. The Slytherin is Jack Hayworth."

"Alright. I'll speak to Lucius as well as a few other contacts I have, and we'll find the best solution. In the mean time, go to sleep.

"Yes, father. Goodnight.

"Goodnight, Harry."

* * *

><p>As always, the pureblood response was rapid, efficient, and brutal.<p>

Three days later, much like her predecessor, Umbridge found out the case via the _Daily Prophet_. Cleary Fudge hadn't seen fit to inform her about her upcoming arrest, because her face paled as she read the front-page story.

Similarly to the Lockhart situation, Aurors, led by Amelia Bones, entered the Great Hall a few moments later, arrested the professor, and dragged her away, despite her protests.

Followed by the delivery of the Daily Prophet, Harry received a letter from his father, as well as one from the Wizengamot.

The letter from his father read:

_Dear Harry,_

_You should be receiving a letter from the Wizengamot about the situation at hand. No doubt, they'll ask you to testify, as you brought this situation to their attention. Of course, as a member of the Wizengamot, I'm not allowed to hear your testimony, but I will be there to support you. Things can go two ways. One, Fudge will try to draw things out in the hopes of making himself look better for having a thorough trial, or he'll try to finish things as fast as possible so things blow over quickly. Otherwise, keep your head down and try to stay out of trouble. Don't give Dumbledore a reason to suspect you of any wrong doing._

_-Father_

The letter from the Wizengamot was sealed with purple wax and stamped with a 'W'. It read:

_Dear Mr. Harrison Black,_

_You are due to testify in the case of the Ministry of Magic versus Dolores Umbridge, as it regards yourself and may observe the other proceedings if you wish._

_Thank you for your cooperation,_

_Chief Warlock: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Lords: Regulus Arcturus Black, David Henry Brocklehurst, Andrew Greengrass, Samuel George Hockley, Allen McLaggen, Isaac Montague, Peter Michael Parkinson, Zachariah Smith, Matthias Thomas, Charles Warrington III _

Harry tucked both letters into his pocket and returned to his breakfast. He scanned the room as he scooped cereal into his mouth, taking note of who in the Hall had received letters. The students who had had detention with Umbridge had all gotten one. Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore had also received letters from the Wizengamot, no doubt asking them to testify them as well. So they were going to begin burying Dumbledore. Excellent.

Soon, it was time to head to class. They had Arithmacy and Potions in the morning, and then they were free for the rest of the day due to Umbridge's absence.

Harry and his friends gathered in the Slytherin common room to talk about the upcoming trial.

"My father sent me a letter. The Wizengamot's going to try and oust Fudge after the trial with a vote of no confidence," Draco said.

"So they're going to try and make things go as fast as possible," Harry said.

"Most of them are on our side or neutral," Draco said. "So it shouldn't be a problem. The big news is their candidate for Minister."

"Who is it?" Pansy asked.

"My father."

The group was quiet for a moment, before getting up to congratulate Draco.

"There will be serious opposition," Theo pointed out once they finished their short celebration. Bones and Dumbledore will be a headache, and Bones or someone else from the D.M.L.E. will probably be the opposition candidate."

Draco nodded. "True. It won't be an easy victory. But I'm sure my father can win."

"If they're moving this fast, I'm wondering when _he_ will have us deal with the spy problem, and put our tutoring to good use," Blaise said.

"Not any time soon," Harry responded. "Once Draco's father is elected, we'll be able to do almost anything we want. And believe me, once we deal with the spy problem, _he'll _want to make it big. _He'll _want to scare the Light and anyone who's even thinking about betraying him."

* * *

><p>Sure enough, Lord Voldemort was planning his next move at that exact moment.<p>

"Lucius, are you sure that you can get elected?"

"Yes, my lord. There is no proof of my allegiance to you, so my so-called good name should help me with many people. Also the fact that most of the Wizengamot has already agreed to support me. If I push a little more gold in Fudge's direction, I can convince him to encourage people to vote for me as his successor. It's only a matter of time before I become Minster of Magic."

"Excellent. Then the next order of business will be dealing with our friend Severus."

"We should kidnap him right before the end of the school year," Rabastan said from the shadows of the room. "If we wait until summer, Dumbledore will have him hidden away someplace safe."

"Probably the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters," the Dark Lord mused. "I believe they are still using the Weasley's shack. If they are, that will be our next target. I will have Harrison warn the ones that are allied with us. We will strike hard and fast. They won't know what hit them."

* * *

><p>Umbridge's trial wasn't until November, so Harry and his friends had time to focus on their schoolwork and something even more important: Quidditch. Slytherin won its first two matches of the year, defeating both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff quite soundly.<p>

Dumbledore had taken to teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, as he couldn't find anyone suitable or willing to take the job. This of course, put Harry and his friends in a sticky spot, as Dumbledore surely noticed the changes in their auras.

But the wizened wizard didn't say a word, probably because he knew his position in the school was shaky at best.

* * *

><p>By the time November rolled around, everyone had gotten into the swing of things. Even though it was their O.W.L. year, Harry and his friends had managed to get the massive amounts of work they had been receiving under control, and had even managed to carve out time to take a few brief trips to Hogsmeade.<p>

But now it was time for several Hogwarts students to testify against Dolores Umbridge.

The morning of the opening of the trial, Harry dressed in his Hogwarts uniform, as mandated by the court. He made sure that his hair was combed, his shirt tucked in, his tie straight, and his shoes shined. And then he was ready to go. The Wizengamot had arranged for the group of ten students, plus Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore, to be transported to the Ministry via portkey.

The portkey deposited the group in an antechamber off the courtroom where the proceedings would be taking place. A security wizard checked them all in, and then they filed inside. Dumbledore took his seat near the front of the room as the Chief Warlock, and the students and Madam Pomfrey sat on a bench off to the side.

Fudge was there as well, to preside over the proceedings, as well as Amelia Bones. Harry looked up into the stands and caught his father's eye. His father sent him a wink, but otherwise, his stoic expression didn't leave his face.

Besides the witnesses and the members of the Wizengamot, the press was all there, along with a large audience of curious spectators with nothing better to do with their day than to watch the trial.

"Today, on November 16, 1995, we are here to judge the actions of Dolores Jane Umbridge, former Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and former professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Fudge said. "Please bring in the defendant."

Two Aurors led Umbridge into the courtroom. Her normally pristine curls were bedraggled and sans bow, and she was wearing a drab gray jumpsuit.

Fudge then read off the charges. "Dolores Jane Umbridge, as the defendant, you are hereby charged with the use and possession of a forbidden object, in this case a blood quill, and child endangerment. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Umbridge said.

"Very well. Opening statements from the prosecution?"

The Ministry had gone with a prosecutor who happened to be member to the Wizengamot. Samuel Hockley was well known for his ability to talk anyone into agreeing with him, but to the relief of Dumbledore and several Light members of the Ministry, Hockley was neutral. For now, at least.

Hockley started by making a show of shuffling the few pieces of parchment in front of him. Then he said, "Hogwarts is a place for our children to learn in a safe environment, correct?" Murmurs of assent came from the stands. "So when someone like that," here he pointed in Umbridge's direction, "uses an instrument of torture on our children, the future of the wizarding world, we must act. We must demand justice. And we must ensure that there is justice."

The statement had been short, sweet, and to the point, and it had clearly swayed many opinions.

"And the opening statement from the defense?"

"I'll be representing myself, Cornelius," Umbridge said in her high-pitched voice.

"Show some respect," Bones said, "you are on trial, after all. Your statement, please."

"You know I'd never hurt these wonderful children, I'm sure this is all just a mistake. I'm sure we can all move past this terrible situation and learn from it," Umbridge said with a simpering smile on her face.

Harry was tempted to smirk, but he didn't. Clearly, Umbridge thought Fudge was going to make everything disappear. Like that was going to happen.

"If there is nothing else to mention in this case, we will proceed with the witnesses. Prosecution, please call the first witness."

"I call Jack Hayworth to the stand," Hockley said.

Jack got up and sat in the high-backed chair and the center of the room, and Hockley started asking him questions. "So, Jack, you're a third year student at Hogwarts, correct?"

"Yes."

"And what house are you in?"

"Slytherin."

"That's great. So, did you have detention with Dolores Umbridge while she was your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

Jack nodded. "I did."

"And why did you have detention with her?"

"I didn't do my homework."

"I see." Hockley turned away from Jack and faced the crowd. "He didn't do his homework. No surprise there. What thirteen-year-old boy would want to be doing homework when he could be out flying? But anyway, Jack, what did Dolores Umbridge have you do in this detention of hers?"

"She made me write lines saying 'I will do my work'."

"I see," Hockley said. "And what kind of quill did she have you use? One of your own?"

"I took my own quill out but she told me to use hers. It was black, and the tip was really sharp."

"And what happened when you used this quill of hers to write your lines? How many did you have to write, by the way?"

"She said until the message 'sinks in'. When I used the quill it...I don't know how to describe it, but it cut the words I was writing into the back of my hand."

This elicited shocked gasps from those in the crowd who didn't know what a blood quill did.

"And so what did you do after this detention was over? Surely you went to Madame Pomfrey?"

Jack gave a sheepish grin before saying, "I didn't want to make it a big deal, so I went back to the Slytherin common room. Except some of the older kids were still up so they saw me."

"Who was there?"

"Harry, Jessica, Theo, Daphne, Pansy, Blaise, Draco, and Warrington. There were a few others there too, but I don't remember their names."

"And I'm guessing they sent you to the hospital wing?"

"Jessica got me to show her my hand, and then Harry took me to see Madam Pomfrey."

"And I see that her treatment, whatever it was, was very effective, since there aren't any scars. I'm done with the witness."

"The defense may now question the witness," Fudge said.

Umbridge got up from her seat and approached Jack. "Why don't you explain to the court why you've decided to lie, hmm? There's no evidence that I laid a finger on you."

"You didn't lay a finger on me. You gave me that bloody quill."

"Thirteen-year-old boys are known for making up stories. Why don't you explain what actually happened?"

"Which part? The part where you had me write lines until my hand bled or the part where you told me not to go to another teacher about you?"

"Why don't you tell the truth, Mr. Hayworth," Umbridge said in a patronizing voice.

"I'll tell the truth when you do." Jack effectively ended Umbridge's line of questioning, and he was allowed to step down from the stand.

Next, Hockley's unorthodox request to conjure a second chair and speak to two witnesses at once was granted, so he called both Fred and George to testify.

"So what did you two do to draw the ire of Dolores Umbridge?"

Fred said, "We set a few fireworks-"

"- loose in the classroom-" George continued.

"-nothing dangerous-"

"-it was just for fun."

"So Hogwarts resident pranksters strike again. So you say that the fireworks weren't anything dangerous? No one got hurt?"

Fred shook his head. "Not at all. They went out after two or three minutes."

"And where did you get them?"

"We made them," George answered.

Eyebrows around the room went up at this.

"That's quite interesting. So is this the only reason why Dolores Umbridge gave the both of you detention?"

"Yes, she gave us-"

"-detention for a week."

"And what did she have you write for your lines?"

"'We must not be foolish'," the twins quoted together.

"And what about your hands? Was Madam Pomfrey able to fix you up as well?"

George started, "The scars are mostly gone-"

"-but you can still sort of see them," Fred finished.

They held up the backs of their hands, and sure enough, faint white letters stood out against the skin.

Hockley was finished, but Umbridge didn't step up. Clearly, this case was over, and it was just time to hammer it home. So Hockley called his final witness. "I call Harrison Black to the stand."

Harry took his seat in the chair, and then his father stood up. "I would like the court to note that I am removing myself from these proceedings for the duration of my son's testimony."

"Acknowledged," Fudge said. "You may temporarily removed yourself, Lord Black."

Harry's father left the courtroom and then Hockley began to ask Harry questions.

"So you're in Slytherin, correct?"

"Yes, I am", Harry said.

"And so why did you feel the need to help your housemate to the hospital wing? I'm sure you've heard the rumors that Slytherins are nasty and self serving."

"And I wanted to prove the rumors wrong. I'm a prefect and I'm on the Quidditch team with Jack. I was simply doing the right thing. That's when I talked to Fred and George and found out that this hadn't only happened to Jack."

"And why didn't you go to a teacher? Why didn't you bring this to their attention?"

"Just as you said, everyone thinks the worst of Slytherin. If I went to say, Professor Dumbledore, he would dismiss me just because of my house. If Fred and George went to a teacher, they would say that they were making it up. So I turned to my parents and spoke to them instead, so that my father could bring things to the attention of this body."

"So you're saying that the leadership of Hogwarts is flawed?"

Dumbledore stood up. "I'm afraid that I have to object. This line of questioning has nothing to do with the matter at hand."

"Yes it does," Hockley said smoothly. "After all, I'm sure we're all wondering how this happened under your watch. I'm done with the witness, Minister."

Once again, Umbridge didn't stand up to defend herself, so Harry was allowed to step down. His father returned to the courtroom and took a seat.

"We will have a half-hour recess while the Wizengamot decides upon a decision."

Umbridge was escorted out by Aurors, the balcony around the courtroom was blocked off by silencing wards, so the press and public couldn't hear what was being said, and then the witnesses were brought to a small antechamber. Madam Pomfrey excused herself in order to get a cup of tea.

While they were waiting, Harry was surprised by Dean Thomas turning to him and saying, "Couldn't have said it better myself, Black."

"Thanks, I think. I noticed on the letter that I received that your father's on the Wizengamot as well."

"Yeah, he is. He's technically Light, but over the past few months he's been on the fence, especially because of what happened at school. He even wanted to pull me out and get me a private tutor for my O.W.L.'s, but I convinced him to let me stay."

"That must have taken a lot of convincing."

"It did. We had a massive row and we didn't speak for over a week. But then he changed his mind. Something about my happiness being just as important as my safety."

"Dean," Seamus hissed, "he's a Slytherin, in case you've forgotten. We can't trust him."

"He's the one who reported Umbridge," Dean replied. "Otherwise you'd be sitting in detention carving words into your own hand. If you'd prefer that, by all means, go ahead."

"Shut up, Thomas. He'll probably stab you in the back the second you turn around."

"Maybe you just don't know what it's like to have friends, Finnegan," Hannah said, jumping into the fray.

"You're a Hufflepuff, Abbott. The only reason why you have friends is because you all have to be loyal to each other," Seamus shot back.

"It seems like-"

"-ickle Ronniekins-"

"-is rubbing off on you-"

"-in a bad way."

"No, you two are just too stupid to realize that a future dark lord is standing right in front of you. He's fooling all of you!"

"I suggest that you watch what you call me, Finnegan," Harry said in a low voice. "You're already on my bad side. Don't make things any worse for yourself."

Then the group sat in silence as they waited to return to the courtroom and hear Umbridge's fate.

* * *

><p><strong>Review, please.<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. And I was really shocked by how full my email inbox was from last chapter, so thank you all a million times for your support.**

**Warnings: Language.**

_**Last Time: **_**Then the group sat in silence as they waited to return to the courtroom and hear Umbridge's fate.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER 13<span>

Harry and the other students, as well as Madam Pomfrey were ushered back inside the courtroom to here the Wizengamot's decision. Umbridge was brought back in as well.

Fudge read from a piece of parchment, "The Wizengamot has found the defendant, Dolores Jane Umbridge, guilty of all charges. The Wizengamot has requested a thirty year sentence in Azkaban, and their request has been granted."

"WHAT?" Umbridge shrieked as the Aurors began to drag her out of the room. "Cornelius! You can't do this to me!"

"Actually, he can," Amelia Bones said with a smirk.

"Now, this court is-"

Daphne's father, Lord Andrew Greengrass, interrupted Fudge. "Actually, there is one more order of business to attend to. We, the lords of the Wizengamot, have decided to hold a vote of no confidence in regards to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge."

"What?" Fudge sputtered. "This is preposterous!"

"Those in favor," Lord Greengrass said over Fudge's objections. Over half of the member of the Wizengamot raised their hands in support of Fudge's removal from office. "Those not in favor?" Almost as many hands went up. "Those who have chosen to abstain?" A few hands went up at this last option, namely Lord Brocklehurst, Mandy's father, and Zacharias Smith's father, Lord Zachariah Smith.

"Then it is decided," Lord Greengrass said. "Cornelius Fudge, from this moment forth, you are no longer the British Minister of Magic. So mote it be!"

There was a bright flash, and then Cornelius Fudge's reign as Minister of Magic was over. A cardboard box appeared next to the stunned man, filled with his personal possessions from his former office.

"And does the Wizengamot have a prospective candidate for Minister of Magic?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry smirked. The old man was probably wishing that the Wizengamot had no such plan. But they did.

Harry's father rose from his seat and said, "The Wizengamot officially nominates Mr. Lucius Malfoy as its candidate for Minister of Magic." Mr. Malfoy rose from his seat in the balcony and nodded in the direction of the assembled press. "We as a body believe that he has the ability and drive to carry our world forward."

As per regulations, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, would take up the mantle of Minister of Magic for the month before elections were held to appoint a new one. They were only allowed to carry out the day-to-day tasks of the position, and they couldn't pass any new ordinances or judge any cases. This was the only snag in the plan, as the head of the D.M.L.E. was Amelia Bones.

* * *

><p>The front-page news didn't stop with the announcement of Umbridge's sentence. Draco's father and Susan Bones' aunt made the front page two days later.<p>

_WIZARDING ELECTIONS: A NEW DIRECTION FORWARD_

_Mr. Lucius Malfoy is the Wizengamot's nominee for the position of Minister of Magic after the magical body ousted the former Minster of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. But standing in his way is the temporary Minister of Magic and opposition candidate, Amelia Bones._

_Madam Bones is also the current head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and says that she'll bring justice back to the magical world. "People like my opposition have been able to get away with too much for too long. This has to stop. Our government needs transparency, and I will make sure that that transparent will be present should I be elected Minster of Magic."_

_So what has Mr. Malfoy gotten away with? After all, most say that he is an upstanding citizen with a spotless record. "I will move out world into the future. And this starts with the children. As a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, I have always done my best to make sure that that school is the very best for our children. Our future."_

_A strong endorsement for Mr. Malfoy comes from Lord Regulus Black. "I have known Lucius for a long time, both inside and outside of the political arena. And I know that he is capable of leading us into the future. We can no longer rest on what's been done, we have to move forward and do something, and I know that Lucius is capable for doing that something."_

_Countering Lord Black's support of Mr. Malfoy is Albus Dumbledore, the current Hogwarts headmaster, who is a staunch supporter of Madam Bones. "Amelia understands what it takes to lead our world and she is effective. She is what we need in this time of growing darkness."_

_The victor won't be clear until after the election on December 31. All witches and wizards who are of age and older can vote. There is a ballot on the bottom of this page that can either be mailed via owl to the Ministry of Magic or brought to your local polling station for collection. For polling stations, see the last page of this issue._

Harry put down his copy of the _Daily Prophet_. "I don't know Draco. It looks like Bones is going to put up a fight."

"I didn't expect anything less," Draco replied. "But my father will win. Just wait and see."

Harry and his friends, along with almost all of Slytherin wore buttons that read: 'A Vote for Malfoy is a Vote for the Future'.

"Good thing we don't have any classes with Bones," Daphne said, glancing at the Hufflepuff table. Susan turned around and glared at Draco before talking heatedly to Hannah.

"She does look rather annoyed, doesn't she," Theo said. He was about to say more, but Ginny came up from behind him and pecked him on the cheek.

"You don't happen to have any more of those buttons, do you Draco? Fred, George, and I would each like one."

"Of course I do." Draco reached into his bag and pulled out three of the campaign buttons.

"Ginny, are you sure?" Theo asked with his voice full of concern. "You could get into a lot of trouble. The rest of your house..."

"The rest of my house should get their heads out of their arses."

Blaise said, "I heard that the only reason why McLaggen's not getting any flack for backing Mr. Malfoy is because his father declared thier family neutral, so it doesn't matter who they support. But you Ginny, you're a Weasley. Your family will be furious."

Ginny put her hands on her hips. "So what if they are? I don't care."

"Ginny, you don't know what you're getting yourself into. This is more than just siding with your friends. This is siding against your family. And not just behind their back, but in front of everyone. Everyone's going to know what side you're on, and not many people are going to like it," Theo said.

"So be it." Ginny snatched one of the buttons from Draco's hand and pinned it proudly to the front of her robes. "I'll see you later, Theo." Another kiss on the cheek and she was heading back to the Gryffindor table with the other two buttons in hand.

The hall fell silent when people noticed Fred, George, and Ginny's new accessories.

"You've got to be bloody kidding me! You're Weasleys! What the hell are you doing?" Ron reached across the table to snatch the button off Ginny but a well-timed Bat Bogey Hex slammed him in the face.

The professors were too shocked to do anything, but the volume in the Great Hall gradually returned to normal and Seamus managed to undo Ginny's hex. Ron stormed out of the Great Hall, followed by his lackey.

Theo pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled a quick message on it. "Read it and pass it down," he said to Jessica, who was sitting next to him.

The parchment moved among all of the upper year Slytherins until it reached the end of the table, where Montague burned it.

* * *

><p>Ginny quickly noticed that Theo was finding a way to accompany her to breakfast every morning and back to Gryffindor tower every night after dinner. And when Theo wasn't there, an older Slytherin was there to watch her back.<p>

And it was a good thing too. More than once, Ginny was almost the victim of a nasty hex in the corridors. The only reason why people didn't target the twins was because they knew that the twins would just prank them in revenge.

* * *

><p>As November turned into December, the tension in the castle didn't let up. Especially because there was now a solid dividing line between those supporting Amelia Bones and those supporting Lucius Malfoy. And the professors, and even some of the older students, realized that this would probably be the two sides of the war once it arrived.<p>

All of Slytherin was supporting Draco, and so was most of Ravenclaw. Susan had most of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff behind her aunt. The key word was most.

The first signs of a divide in the house of the badgers happened at breakfast one morning. Harry didn't hear much of what happened, but he did see Hannah storming out of the hall, away from the Hufflepuff table and her best friend.

Then the rumors started.

Pansy, always on top of the Hogwarts rumor mill, brought them the semi-official news by dinnertime. "So apparently, Hannah was torn because Susan's her best friend, but she wants to agree with the Wizengamot, since they got rid of Umbridge. People are saying that Susan told Hannah that she didn't understand politics because she was a halfblood."

"Harsh," Daphne said. "I'm guessing she didn't think before she spoke?"

"It seems like it, since she's been moping all day," Blaise commented.

"So I'm guessing Abbott's chosen a side?"

"Yeah, I have Malfoy," Hannah said, coming up from behind them. "I'll take one of those buttons, please."

"Good to have you aboard," Draco said. He fished one of the campaign buttons out of his bag and passed it to Hannah. The blonde girl pinned it just underneath the Hufflepuff crest on the front of her robes. She then went to the Hufflepuff table, where she sat alone at the very end.

But Hannah and Susan's relationship wasn't the only one to crumble under the stress of the election. It quickly became clear that Ron wasn't speaking to his siblings or Dean, and all of the students with a father on the Wizengamot had decided to side with their family.

* * *

><p>Even the train ride to London was quiet. Less sparks flashed in the corridors and not nearly as many people were joking and laughing. Probably because the war was coming. More and more disappearances had filled the newspaper every day, and people were past nervous. They were getting scared.<p>

When the Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross, parents hustled their children off the train and hurried home. Theo barely had time to say goodbye to Ginny before the Weasley matriarch rushed her away.

But Harry and his friends had nothing to worry about. After all, they had chosen the right side. They went to their respective homes to drop off their luggage and then they traveled to the Dark Lord's headquarters.

"Good to see all of you," Voldemort said smoothly.

Harry glanced over at Neville. After all, he hadn't seen him in three months. Neville had lost all traces of the baby fat in his cheeks and his eyes had hardened. He had been training with Rabastan Lestrange, after all.

The Dark Lord continued saying, "Draco, I see that your father is highly favored to win the election. Congratulations. Now, what is the news from Hogwarts? Who is most likely to be on our side?"

"All of Slytherin supports you, of course. Most of the Ravenclaws have sided with us, but a lot of them have declared themselves neutral," Harry reported. "They don't want to be involved in any fighting. From Hufflepuff, Hannah Abbott is at least neutral, but we may be able to give her a shove in the right direction. That's it from our year, but some of the older students can probably be swayed. From Gryffindor, there's Ginny, Fred, and George. Dean Thomas is currently neutral, but he'll probably side with us as well."

"Excellent. Rabastan and a few others are working on a plan to attack the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. They are still using the Weasley's shack, correct?"

Theo nodded in the affirmative. "Ginny hasn't mentioned them moving, so they're most likely still there."

"Good. We plan to attack right before the end of the school year. At the same time, we'll capture Snape and make him an example for all who decide to defy me."

"Will we be allowed to participate?" Blaise asked.

"Of course. At that time, I'll introduce the seven of you as my apprentices. Your identities will remain secret, though."

Instead of training that day, they went over the initial plans for attacking the Burrow, which would involve dismantling the wards that Dumbledore had set up. In addition, the Dark Lord instructed Theo to have Ginny to send out letters to her two oldest brothers in an attempt to get them on the their side.

* * *

><p>Over the course of the holiday, Harry and his friends had daily training with Voldemort to perfect their uses of the Unforgiveable Curses. But they also sat down with Lucius and Remus to go over their studies and discuss political strategy. After all, three of them would have seats on the Wizengamot after their parents died.<p>

But one night at dinner with the Malfoys, Remus made an announcement that rocked Harry's world.

"I'll be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts next term," Remus said.

Draco's fork slipped out of his fingers and clattered against his plate. The Malfoy heir quickly collected himself and his utensil and asked, "When was this decided?"

"Last week. It's been in the works for months now," Mr. Malfoy said. "It took a significant effort to convince the other members of the Board of Governors that someone with Remus' condition wouldn't be a threat to the students. Remus will be using the Shrieking Shack every full moon, and Snape will be brewing the Wolfsbane Potion."

"Let's hope we don't kill each other," Remus muttered.

Harry knew that Snape and James Potter's group of friends hadn't gotten along well during their school years. Well, that was an understatement. They had loathed each other. And it must have taken a lot of for Remus to even consider returning to Hogwarts.

"It'll be fine," Harry assured Remus. "You've gotten past those stupid grudges."

"It's more than a stupid grudge, Harry," Remus said quietly. "I'll tell you before you leave. This is something you should know."

The rest of the evening was rather quiet, although Harry and Draco were both elated that they would have a decent teacher for a change.

Before Harry left, Remus had him come to his study. "There's more than a stupid childhood rivalry between Snape and me," he started. "You see, Harry, I almost killed him."

Harry started. He hadn't expected _that_. "How?"

"Our sixth year, Sirius was drunk after a Quidditch party one night and he told Snape where to go on the next full moon. Snape listened to him and encountered a fully-grown werewolf. The only reason why Snape didn't die was because James was there, in his animagus form, to stop me."

"So that's why Snape hates you? Because you're a werewolf?"

"No, he's not bigoted like Umbridge. Snape hates the fact that someone had to step in and save him. That he wasn't strong enough to fend me off on his own. James Potter took his pride and I almost took his life."

"Then Snape should get over it," Harry said.

"Yes, he should. After that incident, Dumbledore made him promise to keep the nature of my condition a secret. And the fact that James was an animagi, as it was technically illegal."

"Do you think I could become an animagus?"

"Harry, you know that you have to wait. But since McGonagall seems to favor you, you may be able to convince her to start your instruction in it next year."

"Alright. Goodnight, Remus."

"Goodnight, Harry."

* * *

><p>Towards the end of December, everyone was on edge because of the election. Harry, Daphne, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy gathered at Draco's house. They were hosting a large gathering in their ballroom full of their supporters. The press was there, waiting for news of a decision. Either the party would turn into a celebration of a victory, or Draco's father would have to send Amelia Bones his congratulations.<p>

They waited, and waited, and waited.

Finally, a reported from the _Daily Prophet_ jumped up and said, "The news is in! Malfoy's won! It was a thirty-one vote margin!"

Streamers and balloons fell from the ceiling as everyone began to applaud and whistle. Once things quieted down, Lucius stepped up to deliver his acceptance speech.

As his father spoke, Draco nudged Harry. "Minister Malfoy has a nice ring to, huh?"

After the holidays, it was time to return to Hogwarts. Harry and Daphne had to patrol the train for part of the journey, but afterwards, they were with their friends. Ginny joined them in their compartment as well, curled up next to Theo.

"The holidays were tough for her," Blaise whispered in explanation. "Her family's becoming less and less excepting of Theo by the day. Ron's convinced them that Theo's using Ginny. Her parents won't even listen to her anymore."

Ginny looked up and said, "Ron's an asshole."

"I know," Harry said.

"But you should watch out for him," Ginny said. "Really. Dumbledore's been teaching him spells and stuff like that. He's actually relatively good at dueling. And Hermione's been helping him with his schoolwork."

Fred said, "More like-"

"-writing it for him," George finished.

"But we can't do anything about it. No one's going to believe it, though. Granger's a prefect and a perfect student. Not even Snape will believe that."

"We'll figure something out. The less we have to deal with them the better."

In the Great Hall on the first night back, Dumbledore made a short speech at the end of the feast. "Welcome back to Hogwarts. I hope everyone's holiday was festive and restful. But now I have an announcement to make. As you all know, due to the unfortunate circumstances earlier in the year, we were without a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. But now we have a replacement. Please welcome Mr. Remus Lupin."

Harry and his friends applauded the loudest for their new teacher.

* * *

><p>It was quickly apparent that almost everyone liked Professor Lupin. He was dynamic, interesting, and people were actually learning something. Not to mention that he was just as fair as McGonagall and Flitwick, if not more so.<p>

The fifth and seventh years got massive amounts of work the moment classes resumed, as they had to begin looking towards their O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s.

But luckily for Harry, he had Quidditch to relieve his stress. Warrington was driving them hard, as they were behind Gryffindor in terms of points and games, and it looked like it would be Slytherin versus Gryffindor in the final match.

* * *

><p>On a dreary February day, Harry noticed an announcement in the common room that made him smile. The poster read:<p>

_DUELING CLUB_

_Open to 3__rd__ Years and Up_

_Hosted by Professors Lupin, Flitwick, and Snape_

_Wednesday and Friday after Classes_

It was nice to have something to look forward to other than Quidditch. But Harry had an inkling that the Dueling Club was more to train the other students to fight a war versus teaching them a new hobby. And it was probably Dumbledore's idea.

It would be amusing to see Ron or Finnegan try to duel someone, but then again, Dumbledore had been teaching Ron a few things, so the redhead probably had something up his sleeve.

The first day of the Dueling Club, Harry and his friends arrived to the Great Hall to see that the wooden tables and benches had been moved aside, and a dueling platform had been set up in the middle of the room. Remus, Flitwick, and Snape were waiting for them, and Dumbledore and a few other professors had shown up to watch.

"Welcome to the first meeting of the Dueling Club," Remus said, once everyone was assembled. There were about forty students present, and each of the houses was represented. "Are there any questions before we begin?"

"Will we learn any spells?" a short fourth year asked.

"Yes, you will, Miss Branstone," Flitwick responded.

A Ravenclaw asked, "Do we get to practice against each other?"

"Yes," Remus said, "but of course, there will be rules. We don't want anyone to get hurt. If that's it, we'll begin. We'll start with the proper etiquette that must be observed in a official duel. Professor Snape and I will demonstrate while Professor Flitwick explains."

"This should be entertaining," Harry whispered to Draco. "Let's hope that Remus kicks his arse."

"First, the duelist must stand on opposite sides of the platform." Remus and Snape did so, and glared at each other across the distance. "Now they will take three steps towards each other and bow, and then turn and return to their place."

Once Remus and Snape had done so and had returned to their original places, Flitwick continued, "Now, both duelists will adopt the proper stance: wand at the ready and knees bent. Once the official brings their wand down, the duel begins."

Flitwick brought his wand down and Snape and Remus jumped into action. They weren't trying to maim each other, as there were too many witnesses, but they trying to do as much damage to each other as they could.

"Stupefy!"

"Petrificus totalus!"

"Locomotor mortis!"

"Diffindo!"

The light from combatants spells flashed back and forth as they shielded, dodged, and returned fire.

"The duel ends when the official's wand sounds," Flitwick managed to shout over the duel, and a loud bang erupted from his wand. Remus and Snape stopped instantly and glared at each other. Clearly, childhood hatred didn't disappear so easily.

Remus ignored Snape and said, "Everyone find a partner from a different house."

Harry and his friends looked around the room in order to find someone decent to pair up with. Ginny appeared next to them and tugged Theo away.

Harry ended up with Dean, Draco faced off against Susan, Blaise paired up with Lisa Turpin, Pansy ended up with Hermione, and Daphne was against Ron.

Once each pair was evenly spaced around the dueling platform, Remus said, "We'll be starting with a shield charm. The incantation is 'protego' and the wand movement is a sharp swish outward. Take turns trying it."

The sound of students repeating the incantation echoed around the hall.

Once the majority had some vague idea of what they were doing, Remus had them practice the Disarming Charm and the Body-Bind Curse.

After the students had practiced for a while, Flitwick called out, "Miss Parkinson and Miss Granger seem to have fine grasp on the spells. Why don't you two come demonstrate?"

"Of course, Professor," Pansy said with a flip of her shiny hair.

Hermione followed Pansy up to the dueling platform.

"Remember the proper etiquette," Flitwick said to them.

Theo moved next to Harry and said, "This should be interesting. Granger has almost no wand skills, other than the work we do in class. Pansy can crush her."

"Oh, she will," Draco said.

Flitwick said, "Feel free to use the spells we discussed today and anything else that you have in your repertoire. Nothing dangerous though. The duel will end when one of you has possession of the other's wand." He then brought his wand down and the mock duel began. Except that Pansy wasn't playing. "Petrificus totalus!"

Hermione ducked to the side and said, "Expelliarmus!"

"Avis!" Small birds flew in Hermione's direction and began to peck at her. While Hermione was distracted, Pansy pointed her wand towards Hermione and said, "Densaugeo." Hermione's two front teeth began to slowly longer and longer. "Furnunculus." Boils erupted all over Hermione's skin.

At this point, everyone watched, fascinated as Pansy toyed with Hermione.

"Expelliarmus!"

Hermione's wand flipped gracefully through the air and landed in Pansy's outstretched hand. Flitwick's wand sounded, announcing the end of the duel.

"I believe that that's enough for today," Remus said. "Congratulations, Miss Parkinson. Mr. Thomas, can you please escort Miss Granger to the hospital wing? Everyone else, you're dismissed."

Pansy hopped down from the dueling platform to rejoin her friends as they left the hall.

"That was brilliant," Draco told her. "I knew Granger couldn't duel. She knows nothing outside of those books of hers."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Snape was heading to Dumbledore's office to inform him about the dueling club.<p>

"How did things go, Severus?"

"It's clear that Black and his little band of friends are more powerful than they should be. The spells we taught weren't very difficult, but they probably learned them as second or third years. And Parkinson is a surprising formidable duelist. She limited herself to basic spells, but the way she combined them...Albus, let's just hope that we don't see them on the battlefield."

"Well of course not, Severus. They'd be in terrible danger."

"No, it would be terrible for us to have to try and face them."

* * *

><p>While Dumbledore and his spy spoke, Voldemort was plotting spy's demise.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Feedback is much appreciated.<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. There's more of Ginny and Theo in this chapter, and more of the Dueling Club too.**

**Warnings: Minor language.**

_**Last Time: **_**While Dumbledore and his spy spoke, Voldemort was plotting said spy's demise.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER 14<span>

After the Easter holidays, the Dueling Club quickly caught on among the older students, especially when it was announced that the club host a school-wide dueling tournament after the end of the Quidditch season and before exams. All students that were fifth years or older would be allowed to enter, and the winner would receive an automatic 'O' in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and win one hundred points for their house.

O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s were approaching as well, but, of course, Quidditch came first. Slytherin had to face Gryffindor in the final match of the year. They had to win. The Quidditch Cup was on the line.

In the Slytherin changing room before the game, the seven players assembled for Warrington's pre-game speech.

"This is my last year," Warrington said. "It's Ian's last game too. But don't win it just for us. Win it for every single person on this team. Now let's go."

They flew out onto the field, lapping the Gryffindor team who was also flying their own warm up. The not-so-subtle action was met by booing from the scarlet and gold-clad fans and cheers from those dressed in green and silver.

The players from both teams assembled around the center of the pitch, where Madam Hooch was waiting.

"You know what I expect from each and every one of you. Let's have a nice clean game." She released the bludgers and the golden snitch, and then blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle into the air, and the game began.

And then it ended.

Harry was holding the fluttering snitch in his hand, not far from his starting position.

Lee Jordan was so stunned he couldn't say anything.

Madam Hooch recovered from her shock and managed to blow her whistle. "Slytherin wins!"

The Slytherin fans burst into cheers and excited yelling.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ron exclaimed. "He probably used dark magic to summon it or something. There's no way he could have caught it that fast."

But Madam Hooch was hearing none of it. "Quiet, Weasley. That must be a school record. 4.6 seconds. I can't believe it!" She hurried off to verify whether or not she was right.

Ron stomped off the pitch, presumably to go sulk in the Gryffindor changing room. But Fred, George, and the rest of their team had the decency to shake the hands of the Slytherin players before leaving the field.

Harry grinned as Warrington and Montague lifted him onto their shoulders for a picture that would make the inside page of the following day's _Daily Prophet_.

Harry's parents were there as well to congratulate them. Once Harry was back on solid ground, his mother hugged him and tried to flatten his windblown hair and his father clapped him on the back.

"We came expecting a game. Looks like we'll be going home early," Regulus joked.

Then Daphne came running up to Harry and kissed him firmly on the lips, and Harry's parents took that as their cue to leave.

* * *

><p>That night, the older Slytherins partied like they had never partied before. Crates of Firewhiskey, butterbeer, and Honeydukes' best chocolate filled the common room.<p>

A seventh year used his wand to create a strobe light effect around the room, and the chairs and couches were shoved to the corner of the common room to form a makeshift dance floor in the middle.

Once the younger students were packed off to bed with a pat on the head and butterbeers in their hands, hot, sweating, inebriated teenagers danced against each other long into the night.

The next morning, Harry woke up sprawled on his bed, and saw that he was the only to have made it upstairs. He wandered down to the common room and saw Draco asleep on the floor, and Theo snoring in a plush armchair. No surprise there. He went back upstairs to down a hangover potion, shower, and dress, and then went downstairs for lunch. It was nearly noon, after all.

When Harry reached the Great Hall, he spotted Daphne, Blaise, Pansy enjoying their meal.

"I see that you're finally awake. I'm guessing that Draco and Theo are still out cold?" Pansy said.

"Yep." Harry helped himself to sandwich and some pumpkin juice.

"Apparently, almost our whole year has already signed up for the dueling tournament, including Weasley."

"He's apparently hoping to get back at me for yesterday. He should really watch those accusations, though. True or not, my father can sue him for every galleon his family doesn't have."

Pansy laughed. "I'm so glad I'm on your good side, Harry."

"Here." Daphne handed Harry a copy of that day's paper. "You broke a school record."

"Great." Harry put the paper aside and concentrated on lunch. After he finished, he went straight to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to sign up for the dueling tournament, and then he returned to the dungeons.

When he walked in, he found Draco and Theo were both soaking wet, and coughing and sputtering. Harry looked straight at Blaise and raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"It was just a little wakeup call. Daphne, Pansy, and I were going to the library to start studying for O.W.L.'s. Do you want to come?"

"Sure. Let's just wait for these two first." Once Draco and Theo were dressed, the group of fifth years gathered their books and headed to the library.

Once they reached Madam Pince's domain, they almost left faster than Harry had caught the snitch. Sitting at a table near the entrance was Ron, Hermione, and Seamus.

"Come on Hermione," Ron was whining, "O.W.L.'s are ages away, just relax already."

"No, I made this study schedule for you and you'll follow it!" Hermione said in a harsh whisper.

"A bit bossy, aren't you Granger?" Daphne said as the Slytherins strolled past the table.

"This isn't any of your business, Greengrass," Hermione said.

"Well then let's hope that someone else can help Weasley for Defense Against the Dark Arts, since you can barely hold onto your wand," Pansy said.

They walked off before Hermione could respond. They settled down at a table in the back and started flipping through their notes. They focused on Arithmacy, Ancient Runes, and Potions. After all, Astronomy was a joke, Neville had helped them with Herbology over the holidays, and 'O's in Defense Against the Dark Arts were almost guaranteed. With Transfiguration and Charms, all of them were capable enough that studying wasn't a necessity. But Ancient Runes and Arithmacy were hard, and Snape would accept nothing less than perfection for admittance into N.E.W.T. Potions.

So they sat in the back of the library and studied for a few hours. Halfway through their study session, Ginny, Dean, Hannah, and the twins approached their table.

"Is it okay if we join you?" Hannah asked.

Blaise nodded and cleared some room for the five of them to sit down. Ginny flopped into the nearest seat and groaned.

"Ron, I'm guessing?" Theo said.

"You don't even know," Dean replied. "We ran into him, Finnegan, and Granger on the way here, and he called Ginny a traitor, and a lot of other, nastier things."

"It was a new low, even for him," Hannah added.

It was quite clear that Ginny didn't want to talk about it, so everyone opened their books and sat in silence.

The group went straight from the library to dinner, but Theo and Ginny hung back.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" Theo asked.

"What is there to say? Ron hates me, Percy hates me, and my mum and dad will probably start hating me too."

"What happened with Percy?"

"He's been at home since Fudge was ousted. He hasn't been able to find another job in the Ministry and he's refusing to look elsewhere. He's blaming Mr. Malfoy for him losing his job. Ridiculous, I know."

"He's always been an asshole. But your parents won't start hating you. They're your parents after all."

Ginny scoffed. "And they've been listening to Ron more and more every day. How you're using me, corrupting me. At first, they were fine with us, but now they keep trying to convince me to end things with you. Which isn't going to happen, by the way."

"Glad to hear it. So what do you want to do?"

"I can't do anything now. I still have over two years left here."

"Don't worry Ginny, I'll think of something."

The beleaguered couple then headed to the Great Hall and went to eat at their separate house tables.

* * *

><p>A week later, the bracket for the first round of the dueling tournament was posted. To keep things fair, people would only face people from their year in the first round.<p>

Fifth Years

Hannah Abbott vs. Harrison Black

Susan Bones vs. Lavender Brown

Daphne Greengrass vs. Draco Malfoy

Pansy Parkinson vs. Padma Patil

Dean Thomas vs. Ronald Weasley

Sixth Years

Katie Bell vs. Cho Chang

Marietta Edgecombe vs. Terence Higgs

Cormac McLaggen vs. Jessica Vaisey

Seventh Years

Eddie Carmichael vs. Angelina Johnson

Ian Montague vs. Zacharias Smith

Alicia Spinnet vs. Charles Warrington

Fred Weasley vs. George Weasley

Harry smirked when he saw the pairings. Hannah was talented, so he would have a bit of a challenge to make it to the second round. The duel between Daphne and Draco would be interesting, and the duel between the Weasley twins would certainly be entertaining. The rules were posted as well: no Unforgivable Curses, Dark curses, spells with the intent of death, or violating the International Dueling Federation Code of Ethics. No surprise there.

Instead of studying, Harry and his friends poured their energy into learning spells for the tournament, which would start in a week.

Finally, the first of the tournament arrived. The duels began on Saturday at 8 a.m., after an early breakfast. The seventh years went first. Angelina Johnson beat Eddie Carmichael, Montague beat Zacharias Smith, and Warrington beat Alicia in three evenly matched duels.

But Fred and George's duel was one for the ages. Fred left the platform with purple hair and covered in green polka dots, while George emerged the victor, even though he was tap dancing and had multiple ears.

Then it was time for the sixth years to go. Most people actually left the hall, since the duel weren't nearly as amusing as the twins' was. Katie Bell lost to Cho Chang, Terence Higgs beat Marietta Edgecombe, and Jessica lost to Cormac McLaggen.

The duels for the fifth years were held on Sunday. Harry was the first of his friends to go, and he was against Hannah Abbott. As he ascended the stairs, Draco patted him on the back and Daphne wished him luck.

Harry stood opposite Hannah, his wand at his side. After walking, bowing, and walking back to their places, Flitwick lowered his wand, and the duel began.

Harry managed to get of the first spell. "Relashio!"

Hannah dodged the shower of hot sparks and returned fire, literally. Harry shielded himself from the first spell and dodged the second. But he didn't see the third and he felt his nose shatter.

There wasn't any time to heal it though. "Petrificus totalus! Incarcerous!"

Hannah dived away from the first spell and landed right in the path of the second. While she was struggling to untangle herself from the ropes, Harry said, "Expelliarmus," and her wand ended up in his hand.

Flitwick's wand went off, and once Hannah was able to get up, she shook hands with Harry and Flitwick declared Harry the winner.

"Good job," he heard Draco said.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hannah asked.

Harry replied, "I'm alright." But the look on Madam Pomfrey's face said quite the opposite.

"Sit down, Mr. Black," the matron said. "Honestly, the one year you manage avoid the hospital wing, you go and get hurt just before the years up. Tilt your head up, dear." Harry's nose was healed and his shirt was cleaned in a matter of minutes, and then he was free to go.

"You better not scare me like that again, Harry," Daphne said as he rejoined his friends near a corner of the hall.

"It looks like Bones' aunt taught her a few things," Theo said, brining their attention back to the duel that was going on. Susan was facing Lavender Brown, and it was quite clear that Susan was going to win.

After that duel, which Susan did, in fact win, Daphne had to go up against Draco. Harry couldn't decide whether to cheer for his girlfriend or his best friend, so he settled for just watching. Draco ended up losing, but Harry congratulated them both as they returned.

"You should have entered, Theo. You too Blaise." Daphne said as they watched Pansy's duel against Padma Patil. "It was fun."

"I rather watch," Theo said. He added in a whispered voice, "It's pretty convenient to see all of our future enemies' weaknesses all at once."

Pansy beat Padma, and then it was time for Dean to go against Ron.

The duel was pretty uneventful, until halfway through when Harry was pretty sure that he saw Ron holding a second a second wand underneath his sleeve. That was a definite violation of the code of ethics, and in an IDF duel, he would have been disqualified. But Flitwick missed it and Ron ended up winning and moving onto the second round.

"That little rat," Blaise muttered. She must have seen it too.

"What happened?" Pansy asked.

"It's illegal to use two wands in a duel, a rule that Weasley clearly thinks doesn't apply to him," Theo said to her.

"Why am I not surprised?" Draco drawled. "Classic Gryffindor stupidity. I can't believe Flitwick missed it, though."

"Probably because he was concentrating on making sure that they didn't kill each other," Harry said. "We'll figure out what to do, and when we do, Weasley will pay."

* * *

><p>Theo ended up coming up with something to fix his and Ginny's tumultuous situation one day after breakfast. A Howler, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley had triggered it.<p>

After a long tirade in her screeching voice, Mrs. Weasley finished with, "AS LONG AS YOU'RE MY DAUGHTER AND LIVING UNDER MY ROOF, YOU'LL DO AS I SAY!" Then the letter burst into ashes as Ginny burst into tears and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Sometimes I wonder what Weasley's been saying to her,"Harry said. "After all, she didn't think we were that bad a few years ago."

"It doesn't matter now, since she thinks that we're a danger to her precious Ginny," Pansy replied.

A light bulb went off in Theo's head and his eyes lit up. "I know what to do!"

Blaise rolled her eyes. "Feel free to enlighten us."

"As long as Ginny's her daughter, and living in her house, she can legally make Ginny do what she's told. But what if she wasn't?"

"Are you thinking of getting her emancipated?" Draco asked after a moment of thought. "That would take a lot of legal finagling."

"Well he just turned fifteen, so it would be legal. We'd just have to push it past the Weasleys, Dumbledore, and through the Ministry."

"That's going to be a lot of work," Harry warned him. "And you'll make enemies of a lot of people."

"They're my enemies already. I'll be back, I'm going to go find Ginny and see what she thinks."

Theo left the Great Hall and went to find Ginny. He had to wander all the way to the top of the Astronomy tower in order to locate her, and then silently cursed when he realized that he could have just asked Harry if he could steal a glance at the Marauders' Map.

"Ginny, are you alright?"

Ginny let out a harsh laugh. "Do I look like I'm alright?"

"No." Theo sat down next to her on the stone floor. "You don't. That's why I'm here. I think I've figured out a way that you can do what you want."

"What is it?"

"You can get emancipated. It'll be hard, but it's definitely possible."

"You know that my mum would never let that happen."

"We just have to be careful. If we do it right, they won't even know about it until it's done." Theo leaned closer and pushed a strand of copper hair out of Ginny's eyes. "I want you to be happy, Ginny."

"Me too."

* * *

><p>The following day, the matchups for the second round of the dueling tournament were announced.<p>

Harrison Black vs. Cho Chang

Susan Bones vs. Daphne Greengrass

Terence Higgs vs. Angelina Johnson

Cormac McLaggen vs. Ian Montague

Pansy Parkinson vs. Charles Warrington

George Weasley vs. Ron Weasley

'This is going to be interesting,' Harry thought to himself as he surveyed the pairings. From playing against Cho in Quidditch, Harry knew that while she may not be the most skilled, she would definitely tough it out until the end. Hopefully, Daphne would beat Susan. Higgs versus Angelina, Cormac versus Montague, and Pansy versus Warrington were three more good matchups. But George and Ron's duel was going to be a bloodbath.

In between attending classes and preparing for duels, the fifth years spent most of their time in the library preparing for their O.W.L.'s, which were quickly approaching.

The following weekend, the second round of duels took place. Harry's duel versus Cho was first.

After obeying the formalities, they both fired at the same time.

"Diffindo!"

"Impedimenta!"

Harry managed to sidestep Cho's spell, but his made contact. It sliced through the sleeve of Cho's shirt and cut into her arm. Blood began to seep into the white fabric.

Spells flashed across the platform as Harry and Cho battled each other. Then, finally, Harry managed to stun Cho and disarm her.

"And the winner is Mr. Black," Flitwick announced.

After Harry's duel, Daphne had to face Susan Bones. She lost. After reclaiming her wand, Daphne rejoined her friends. "Bones is good," she said bitterly.

"Oh, I know," Harry said. "But she has weaknesses, just like everyone else."

After Daphne's duel, Higgs lost to Angelina and Montague beat Cormac. Later in the day, Pansy beat Warrington, something that surprised people who didn't know her.

As Harry had predicted, George and Ron's duel was violent, to say the least. Even though George lost, he showed everyone that he wasn't to be underestimated. Even though he had only gotten three O.W.L.'s, was probably only going to get two or three N.E.W.T.'s, after that day, no one questioned his lack of talent.

And of course, Ron had pulled out his second wand again. Shocker.

Since the entire second round duels had occurred on Saturday, the pairings for the next round were posted on Sunday. As there was only two weeks until exams, the third round would take place after classes on Friday, and the final round would take place on Saturday.

Harrison Black vs. Susan Bones

Angelina Johnson vs. Ian Montague

Pansy Parkinson vs. Ron Weasley

Harry smirked. Hopefully he would be able to bring Bones down a few notches, and Pansy would trounce Weasley. Angelina's duel versus Montague would be a complete tossup.

Harry and his friends were excited for Friday, but first, they had to wade through the pile of work their teachers had assigned them in preparation for their exams. Snape seemed to get some kind of sadistic joy out of assigning them an incredible amount of work that was nearly impossible to complete. Even Remus, who was always fair, gave them plenty of things to do in preparation for their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.

But finally, Friday arrived.

Harry and Susan were the first to face off. Susan was definitely a tough opponent, probably because of her aunt. She wasn't afraid to shoot off a few spells that would have definitely done some damage, had they made contact. But eventually, Harry emerged the victor.

Angelina ended up beating Montague in a fair fight. Pansy's duel against Ron, however, was anything but fair, as Ron decided to use the trick he had hidden up his sleeve, again.

After Pansy had reclaimed her wand and escaped Madam Pomfrey, she stomped over to her friends. "I'm going to kill that little rat."

"You mean weasel, right?" Draco deadpanned.

"The final duel is going to be a three-on-three fight," Theo said, returning from having read the official results. "It's a new format that was introduced on the international level a few years ago. It's harder because you have to watch two people at once."

"And Weasley will probably try to make an alliance with Angelina, on the pretense of taking Harry out first so that a Gryffindor will be guaranteed to win," Daphne said.

"And she'll probably take the bait. She's almost as loyal as a Hufflepuff."

Harry and his friends headed to the library in order to strategize for the next day's duel. Once they sat down at a table in the back, where they wouldn't be overheard, Theo asked Harry, "Could I borrow your mirror for a minute? It's about Ginny."

"Sure." As Harry always carried the mirror on his person, he pulled it out of his pocket, and then erected a small silencing ward. "Father?"

"Hello, Harry. What is it?"

"Actually, Theo needs to talk to you. He'll explain."

"Alright. Put him on."

Theo whispered a quick, "Thank you," to Harry before taking the mirror. "Hello, Lord Black."

"Hello to you too, Theo. So what do you need?"

"It's about Ginny Weasley. You see, her parents have been rather...difficult lately, and I'm working to see if I can get her emancipated."

"You'll need a decent lawyer. And the three requirements for emancipation is that the underage witch or wizard had a place to live, a legal means of supporting themselves, and a means to continue their education. I'm guessing that you've already thought about these things?"

"A bit. I plan to ask Lord Hockley if he'd be willing to serve as Ginny's lawyer, and Daphne's offered her a place to stay until she finishes Hogwarts, and the Greengrass family will give Ginny a trust vault in her name. And she'll still be going to Hogwarts, of course."

"That sounds fine. You should send a letter to Lord Hockley as soon as possible. He knows how to be discreet, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Alright, thank you."

The reflective surface went blank, and Theo helped his friends plot Ron's downfall via duel.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Harry woke up bright and early. He got dressed and headed down to breakfast early. He was halfway through his eggs and toast when people began to trickle downstairs. His friends joined him at the Slytherin table.<p>

"I'm so ready to see you crush Weasley," Blaise said.

"What about Angelina?"

"Who cares about her? She's a solid duelist, but nothing special. Her age gives her an advantage and she'll put up a fight, but you'll be able to take her," Theo said.

After breakfast finished the professors moved the table out of the way and set up the three-way dueling platform. Once everything was ready, Harry, Ron, and Angelia took their places and the crowd of students gathered around the stage to watch.

As they faced each other and bowed, Harry muttered to Ron, "Ready to lose Weasley?"

"No, because it's not going to happen."

They observed the rest of the mandatory niceties, and then Flitwick brought down his wand. It was clear from the beginning that Daphne had been right. Ron had convinced Angelia to gang up against Harry. 'So much for Gryffindor bravery,' Harry thought to himself as he dodged spells.

Once he had a moment to breathe, he tapped the top of his head with his wand and whispered a spell. The telltale feeling of something cold and slimy sliding down his spine told him that he had done it right.

"Where'd he go?" Ron spun around in a circle, as if he expected that Harry would pop out from behind him. Angelina didn't reply, as Harry had managed to strike her with a stunner. One down and one to go. "Black! Where'd you go? Professor, this is against the rules!"

"Actually, it isn't. Mr. Black has not left his designated side of the dueling platform yet, so I cannot disqualify him. Continue, please."

Ron shot spell after spell and hex after hex into the seemingly empty air on Harry's side of the platform. Harry grinned as the spells missed him by a mile, since Weasley had no clue where to aim for.

"Obscuro!" A violet spell hit Weasley square in the face.

"My eyes! I can't see, I can't see!"

Harry smirked at Weasley's reaction to his predicament. Then he whispered another spell, and reappeared, causing the crowd to applaud.

"Reducto!" Ron's aim was way off, and the spell careened towards the staff table, forcing the professors to scatter.

"Aquamenti." Harry's spell left the crowd befuddled, as he had missed and hit Weasley's feet. Then his next spell helped make sense of his previous move. "Glisseo." The water became slick and turned to ice. A tripping jinx sent Ron straight onto his behind.

"Stupefy." Ron was knocked out cold. "Expelliarmus." Ron's wand came flying into Harry's outstretched hand. But it was followed by a second wand, which had been tucked up Ron's sleeve.

Flitwick was so shocked that it took him a moment to declare the duel as over.

"Professor, Ron's been cheating this whole time," Harry said, handing Flitwick both wands. "I would have told you before now, but there wasn't any proof."

Flitwick was still shocked, but shock quickly morphed into anger. "I don't believe it. What a disgrace to the sport of dueling." He reenervated Ron, and the first words the redhead heard were, "One hundred points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley. If this was a sanctioned completion, the consequences would be even more severe."

Ron's wand ended up next to him with a clatter.

"Now I would like to present to you the winner of Hogwarts first-ever dueling tournament, Harry Black! Congratulations. And as Mr. Black is a Slytherin, I award Slytherin one hundred points for his vict-"

"Confrigo!"

Harry was blasted right off the platform before Flitwick could finish his sentence.

* * *

><p><strong>I had fun writing Harry's duel against Ron, if you couldn't tell. Please review, it would be much appreciated.<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. By the way, I'm now a high school graduate!**

**Warnings: There's definitely some bad language in this chapter. *Alert* - There's also torture towards the middle of the chapter, so don't say I didn't warn you.**

_**Last Time: **_**Harry was blasted right off the platform before Flitwick could finish his sentence.**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER 15<span>

The Great Hall went silent as everyone looked between Ron's wand and where Harry had fallen.

Daphne stormed up to the platform. "You idiotic little bastard!" Her hand left a clear red mark across Ron's cheek.

This seemed to jar everyone into acting. Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, and Remus rushed over to Harry, who hadn't moved since he had hit the stone floor, while Blaise pulled Daphne away from Ron before she could to any further damage.

Ron found Ginny wrenching his wand out of his hand, while the rest of the students began to panic. Harry had hit the floor rather hard after all.

"You're so bloody worthless," Ginny hissed. She moved to snap Ron's wand, but Fred and George stopped her.

George started, "He'll get-"

"-his due," Fred finished. He added, "You're no-"

"-brother of ours," George said, completing the sentence.

Ginny threw the wand back at Ron's feet, but he made no move to pick it up.

At the request of Professor McGonagall, prefects began rounding students up and directing them to their common rooms.

After hours of waiting to hear news, the students of Hogwarts were gathered in the Great Hall.

"Mr. Black has been taken to St. Mungo's," Dumbledore informed them. "His family is by his side and he will recover. Mr. Weasley has been reprimanded for his actions and will be returning to Hogwarts only to take his O.W.L.'s, which he will take in a room by himself. He must serve detention on every weeknight for half of next year, and his actions have cost Gryffindor two hundred points this year and two hundred points at the beginning of next year."

No one stood up to protest the harshness of the punishment, not even the Gryffindors.

"He tried to kill him!" Daphne shouted. "And you're telling me that he gets to come back to school with us next year?"

"Calm down, Miss Greengrass," Professor Dumbledore said. "I spoke to his parents and the Board of Governors and they agreed that it was best to allow Mr. Weasley to finish his education."

"If it had been a Slytherin, they would have been hauled off to Azkaban without a second thought," Blaise said. "What happens when the _Daily Prophet _gets wind of this? They've have your head."

"The _Daily Prophet _will not get wind of this, Miss Zabini," Snape said.

"And why not?" Hannah Abbott, who suddenly had the courage of a Gryffindor, stood up. "Ron tried to kill Harry, and you're letting him get away with it."

"And everyone knows that Ron and Harry hate each other with a passion," Jessica added. "When the Gryffindor is the aggressor, nothing happens. If Harry had done the same, you would have expelled him, and you know it."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but Ginny beat her to it. "Don't say a word Granger. By the way, where did Ronniekins learn that spell? He's certainly too stupid to learn it on his own."

"He wanted to learn to defend himself," Hermione said weakly.

"He wanted to find a way to kill Harry," Daphne corrected her. "You're in Gryffindor and you weren't brave enough to stop him. You're a waste of magic, Hermione Granger."

* * *

><p>There was no word about Harry's condition for the week leading up to exams. His group of friends could barely get through the day without one of them breaking down at some point, let alone study.<p>

Finally, the first day of exams arrived. They had Transfiguration, which had a written portion, followed by an individual practical exam.

Everyone was seated at his or her desk and Professor McGonagall took attendance. Harry's name was second, but he didn't answer when his name was called.

Moments before the papers were passed out, the door creaked open and someone slipped inside.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor."

"Take a seat, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall said with a shaky smile on her face.

The Ministry examiner passed out the exam papers and soon the sound of anti-cheating quills scratching against parchment filled the room.

The exam lasted for three hours, and then the papers were collected and then they were free to go until the practical, which would begin later in the day.

"Harry!" Harry braced himself as Daphne jumped him. "Harrison James Aries Black, don't ever do that to me again."

"I'm fine, Daphne, really."

"Then why do you look like death warmed over?" Theo asked, only have joking.

"I woke up for the first time last night," Harry explained. "It took a lot of convincing on my parents' part to get the Healers to let me leave. After O.W.L.'s are finished, I'm on strict bed rest for at least a week."

"But that means no flying," Draco said.

"Obviously," Pansy said. "You're alright though, right?"

"I'm fine," Harry assured her.

"Did you hear that Weasley's being allowed to come back to school next year?"

Harry nodded. "My parents told me this morning. They're not happy in the slightest. Father even wanted to pull me out and have Remus tutor me at home for the next two years, but I talked him out of it. He still wants to ruin the Weasleys though."

"Then he probably will, even though there's not much left to ruin."

They headed toward the Great Hall for lunch. The minute Harry stepped into the Great Hall, almost everyone stood up and applauded. The notable exceptions were Ron, who sat with Hermione at the end of the Gryffindor table, and Snape.

Harry towards the Gryffindor table and everyone held their breaths. But instead of confronting Ron, Harry went straight to Ginny and the twins.

"How are you?" Ginny asked.

"I've been better, but I'm fine. It takes more than a poorly aimed and underpowered hex to kill me," Harry responded. The people who heard his pointed jab at Ron laughed. "But really, I'm fine. At least I will be, after some more rest. And thank you for standing up for me, Ginny. You two as well," he said, nodding towards Fred and George.

He also smiled at Hannah, over at the Hufflepuff table, and hugged Jessica once he reached the Slytherin table.

Once people's fascination with Harry began to fade and the returned their focus to their own meal, Daphne asked Harry, "So what exactly happened?"

"Weasley broke four of my ribs and one punctured a lung. I also cracked my head open and broke two more ribs from hitting the floor. The Healers kept me in a magical coma so I could heal better."

Daphne sighed. "That's better than I thought. Just don't ever do that to me again. Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

><p>At one o'clock, they returned to the examination room for their individual practical exams. The examiner asked Harry to transform a butter dish into a bird. When Harry produced a multi colored parrot that began to mimic the examiner, he knew that he had received full marks.<p>

Once every one had finished, they were told that they would receive their scores mid July, and then they were done for the day. Despite the fact that it was only four in the afternoon, Harry felt his eyes drooping, so while his friends went to the library to study for Charms, he went off to bed.

* * *

><p>The Charms O.W.L. was similarly formatted to the one for Transfiguration, excepted for the practical exam, they had to perform charms chosen at random by their evaluator, and then perform one of their choice. For his, Harry sent out his Patronus, and the examiner watched in shock as the bright snake wound its way around the room before disappearing. Harry was even more exhausted after he finished that exam.<p>

The following day they had History of Magic, which was a three-hour long written exam, followed by Arithmacy and Ancient Runes, which were each two-hours long.

Then Harry and his friends had a slight break, as the exams for Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies were the following day, and all they had to do for Care of Magical Creatures was to identify different creatures and their characteristics, which only took half the time that was allotted for the exam.

As Harry and his friends exited the room, Charlie Weasley approached them with his hands in his pockets and a worried look on his face.

"I don't hate you just because you're related to Ron," Harry said before Charlie could get a word out.

"Well that takes care of that, then," Charlie said with a slight laugh. "Ron's an idiot."

"Oh, we know," Blaise assured him. "But we don't blame you for that. He probably got dropped on his head a few too many times."

"I actually think he was," Charlie agreed. "But thanks. Our family's a bit of a mess at the moment, so some support is definitely welcome."

"Because of Ron?" Pansy asked.

Charlie nodded. "Our parents have been defending Ron non-stop. Their excuses have excuses. Bill, he's the oldest of us, moved out and found a flat in Diagon Alley. Hasn't been home since. Fred and George have been threatening to leave and finish opening that joke shop of theirs, and our mum's not having it. She wants them to get respectable jobs, whatever that means. So once they finish with their N.E.W.T.'s, they're probably going to open a store in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. They do have the gold for it now, thanks to their mail order business. Ginny and our mum's been fighting non-stop. Something about our mum not approving of her boyfriend." Here, he looked right at Theo. "She told me what you have planned. I think it's a good idea."

"Thanks," Theo said.

"Just a bit of advice: hurt my sister and I'll kill you with my bare hands."

Theo looked genuinely scared, but then he recovered. "That won't happen."

"Good! Then you have nothing to worry about," Charlie said. "But our dad's a bit of a mess too. No one wants to hire him; everyone still thinks he's too much of a liability. Percy's working as a stockroom clerk at Flourish & Blotts. That's a far way to fall after having a cushy job at the Ministry."

"What about you?" Daphne asked.

"I'm leaving. I'm going back to the dragon preserve in Romania after this term is over. Dumbledore will probably talk the Ministry into allowing Hagrid to teach again."

"He's a bumbling fool," Blaise said. "We won't learn anything if he teaches the N.E.W.T. class, and we'll probably end up in the hospital wing too."

"Quite true. Good luck next year."

"Thanks, Charlie," Harry said.

* * *

><p>Over the next four days, they had the written and practical Potions O.W.L., their Herbology O.W.L., and their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., and their Astronomy O.W.L. And then they were finally done. They had managed to finish what was supposed to have been one of the toughest years of their education.<p>

At the end of year feast, Dumbledore announced Slytherin as the winner of the House Cup, mostly thanks to Harry's victory against Ron and Angelina in the dueling tournament.

The next day, everyone boarded the Hogwarts Express to return home. Harry, still recovering from exams, slept the entire way.

When the train reached King's Cross, Harry and his friends disembarked and found their parents.

As Regulus embraced Harry, he whispered in his son's ear, "It's happening tonight."

* * *

><p>That night, Severus Snape was enjoying the end of the school year the way he always did: with a glass full of the strongest whiskey the Hog's Head had to over.<p>

"Dunderheads," he muttered to himself before knocking back more of his drink.

Then a stunner knocked him out.

* * *

><p>Harry picked up the paper the next day to find some good news on the front page.<p>

_HOGWARTS PROFESSOR MISSING! DEATHEATERS AT WORK?_

_Severus Snape, the Potions professor at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been missing since last night, when he went to the Hog's Head Bar. Witnesses who were in the establishment at the time of his disappearance adamantly refused to comment._

_There was no sign of a struggle. Hopefully, Snape has decided to go on a holiday, but we here at the Daily Prophet fear the worst._

"Let's hope that it's a rather permanent holiday," Harry said to his father.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore had just read a copy of the very same story. This certainly wasn't good. If Tom had managed to get his hands on Snape, he no longer had a spy within Voldemort's ranks. Not to mention that Snape would probably be killed for his treachery. He would have to find a new Potions master by the end of the summer. Maybe it was time to talk Horace out of retirement...<p>

* * *

><p>The following day, Snape woke in a damp cell, disturbingly similar to the ones he had investigated during his search for Neville Longbottom.<p>

Snape felt as if he had been doused with cold water and all traces of a hangover were gone. Bits and pieces of what had happened came back to him. Someone had stunned him from behind. But who?

The door to his cell swung up, revealing the robes and mask of a Deatheater. Snape cursed to himself. The one night a year that he let his guard down, he had managed to be kidnapped. He hadn't even put up a fight.

The Deatheater bound Snape's hands and dragged him up a flight of stairs. Snape knew where he was. He was in the Dark Lord's headquarters, and he was being taken to see You-Know-Who himself.

Sure enough, the doors to the Dark Lord's meeting room opened and Snape was thrown inside, landing rather painfully since he couldn't break his fall.

The Dark Lord stood before him, flanked by Rabastan Lestrange, along with seven people wearing black cloaks that shadowed their faces.

"Hello, Severus. I trust that you're well?"

Snape pulled himself together and kneeled before his former master. His secret was probably no longer a secret, but he might as well try. Voldemort's laugh stopped him dead.

"You amuse me, Severus. Do you think that I don't know of your betrayal?" He smirked when he saw Snape's face turn ashen. "Oh yes, I know. I've had my suspicions for a long time, but my apprentices helped confirm them for me."

All at once, the seven people behind the Dark Lord removed their hoods.

Seven familiar faces looked out at Snape. Pansy Parkinson. Draco Malfoy. Blaise Zabini. Daphne Greengrass. Theodore Nott. Harrison Black. And worst of all, Neville Longbottom, who was very much alive.

"They've been doing excellently in their training. Don't worry, you'll get a chance to experience how talented they are."

Snape knew that his only chance at life would be to throw his dignity out the window. "Neville! You're mother and father wouldn't want you to do this. Voldemort killed them!"

"You're the reason my mother and father are dead, you worthless bastard." Snape realized that Neville, at least the Neville that those at Hogwarts knew, was very much gone. "Crucio."

Snape felt the hate that Neville poured into the curse. Thousands of sharp knives pierced him to the bone, again, and again, and again.

When Neville finished, Snape was trembling on the floor, the aftershocks of the Cruciatus Curse causing involuntary spasms to ripple through his body.

"I told you, Severus, they're very talented," the Dark Lord said.

After that, it became a free for all. Pansy used a Bone Breaker Curse on his knees, but not before Blaise turned them backwards. Theo and Draco also tag teamed, using spells to alternate between cutting and burning their victim. A spell from Harry's wand sent Snape's organs spilling onto the floor. Daphne ended things by using a Blood Boiling Curse to cook him alive.

"Let's leave him somewhere for Dumbledore to find."

* * *

><p>Dumbledore was pacing in his office, wondering what to do about his spy's disappearance. If Voldemort had truly kidnapped Snape, no one would be willing to step up and take his place.<p>

Professor McGonagall's face appeared in Dumbledore's fireplace. "Albus, come to Hogsmeade as quickly as you can!"

The desperation in her voice told him not to ask questions.

Dumbledore flooed to the Three Broomsticks to find that any questions he would have had were quickly answered. Judging by the terrified mob outside, something terrible had happened. Sure enough, the nearly unrecognizable corpse of Severus Snape was lying on the uneven cobblestones.

Someone must have called the Aurors, as they scarlet-robed men showed up quickly and managed to disperse the crowd so that they could investigate.

"This was definitely You-Know-Who's work," Kingsley Shacklebolt told Dumbledore. "Look at this."

He used a spell to lift the tatters of Snape's left sleeve. The Dark Mark had been carved into Snape's skin, on top of his original tattoo.

The headmaster asked, "Was there any sign of how he got here?"

"A portkey," an Auror said, approaching him. "We have some of our men trying to trace it, but there's been nothing so far."

"I'm not surprised," Dumbledore said.

Then the Minister of Magic appeared and strolled over to the group. "My goodness, what happened here?" Lucius said, not looking distraught in the slightest.

"It seems that my Potions master has run afoul of Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore responded lightly.

"Ah, yes, I saw in the paper that he had disappeared. And here I was thinking that he had simply gone on an extended vacation. What a shame. I presume that you'll be able to find a proper instructor by the beginning of the school year?"

"Yes. I plan on speaking to Horace Slughorn and talk him out of retirement."

Lucius smiled. "Excellent. I would hate to have to think that you were neglecting your duties as headmaster." The he gestured at what was left of Snape and said to the Aurors, "Bring him to the Ministry, and continue the investigation there. I don't want any more gawkers to show up." Then he apparated, most likely to go do whatever Ministers of Magic did.

In actuality, Lucius apparated home to sit down to lunch with his family and the Blacks.

"I must say, your handiwork was impressive," he said to Harry and Draco. "You used your secondary wands, correct?" The two boys nodded. "Even better. He won't be able to even begin detecting you magical signatures."

"And now everyone knows what happens if you betray the Dark Lord," Harry said.

* * *

><p>In the aftermath of the discovery of Snape's body, it was rather easy for Lord Hockley to file Ginny's emancipation papers with the Ministry, and since everyone was worrying about Voldemort, Ginny's emancipation was granted after the twenty-day period people had to contest it.<p>

At the Burrow, Ginny was hurriedly packing everything that she wanted to bring with her. She threw her books, her broom, and a few changes of clothes into her trunk and then she snuck downstairs, dropped a pinch of Floo powder into the fireplace, and stepped into the flames.

Ginny arrived at Greengrass Manor, where she would be living until she turned age seventeen.

"Hi, Ginny," Daphne said. "I'll show you your room." She snapped her fingers and a house elf appeared. "Take Ginny's trunk to her room," she commanded the house elf.

"Yes, Miss Daphne," the house elf squeaked before disappearing with Ginny's trunk.

Ginny and Daphne walked leisurely through the halls of the massive house before they reached where Ginny would be living.

But before Ginny stepped inside her room, she said to Daphne, "Thank you so much for everything. Really, your family's been so nice, and your parents don't even know me."

"A friend of mine is a friend of my parents', even if you are a Weasley. Now take a look."

Ginny's new room was at least ten times as large as her previous bedroom. There was a sitting area, with a comfortable-looking settee and an armchair, along with a coffee table. A four-poster bed, covered in pale pink and cream sheets stood against one wall, and there was a tall armoire in the corner. A writing desk was opposite the bed, and a large bay window overlooked the gardens.

"It's perfect. Thank you."

"You have your own bathroom as well," Daphne pointed out. "I believe my mother found a few of my old things that should fit you, so you can wear those for now. We'll be going shopping this week for anything you need."

"You've already done so much, you don't need to-"

Daphne cut her off. "We want to. Besides, I need a few new robes anyway, so it's not all about you," she said with a smile. Then a little bell sounded throughout the house. "It's time for lunch. Change and then we can go down to the dining room."

Daphne stepped outside the door and then Ginny carefully tread across the creamy white carpet to the wardrobe. Inside were several robes and sets of clothing looked to be about her size. She slipped on a pale green dress that was a little too big, and pulled on her school shoes. When she stepped outside, Daphne critically looked her up and down.

"We definitely need to go shopping," Daphne said. "Come one, the dining room is this way."

The two girls went down several sets of stairs and down a hallway before reaching an elegantly appointed dining room. Daphne's parents were already present and waiting for them.

"Welcome to our home," Daphne's mother said, standing up and embracing Ginny. Then she held her an arm's length away and said, "We do need to go shopping don't we. We'll go tomorrow and get you anything and everything you need." Ginny began to protest, but Lady Greengrass cut her off, "We want to."

They sat down to lunch, which was the most delicious meal Ginny had had in a while, since she had been avoiding meals with her former family and sneaking food from the pantry up to her room instead.

"Did you tell your family that you were leaving?" Daphne asked, treading carefully.

Ginny shook her head. "No. They'll figure it out eventually, especially if Dumbledore helps them. The twins are leaving too, since they're seventeen. They found a store in Diagon Alley, so they're leaving as soon as they fix up the flat above it, which should take less than a week."

"I'm guessing that they're parents aren't aware of this either?"

"Not at all. The twins have them convinced that all of the time they've been spending away from home has been spent searching for 'respectable' jobs."

* * *

><p>"Respectable jobs. That's a funny one," George said. "How'd you come up with that one, Forge?"<p>

"She's only been going on about it for the past seven years Gred," his twin replied.

They were fixing up the apartment above their nearly complete shop in Diagon Alley. In contrast to the orange and purple walls for the three floors below them, the walls in the apartment were a calming light blue. There was a small kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom for each of them. It was their new home.

"Gred, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful business."

Then they got back to work, so that they could hopefully meet their goal of opening up shop in mid-July.

* * *

><p>Ginny's parents discovered that their only daughter was missing that late night. She hadn't left her room all day, so Mrs. Weasley sent Percy up to her room to check on her before they all headed off to sleep.<p>

"Mum, she's gone."

"What?" The Weasley matriarch hurried up to Ginny's old room and saw that her daughter was in fact, not there. "Arthur, call Albus, Ginny's missing."

Dumbledore arrived at the Burrow less than five minutes later.

"When did she go missing?" he asked Molly, who was sitting at the kitchen table clutching a strong mug of tea.

"I don't know. Percy was at work all day and Arthur was trying to find some odd jobs. I was out in the garden for most of the day. The twins were gone as well. Only Ron and Ginny were inside, I think," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Percy, my boy, could you go get Ron?"

Percy disappeared up the stairs, and returned a few minutes later with a very sleepy Ron. "Wha's goin' on?" Ron asked.

"Ginny's missing," his father said gravely. "Did you see her at all today?"

His father's statement was enough to jolt Ron awake. "She got breakfast about an hour after we finished and went back to her room. Then I went flying until about an hour before dinner."

"When did you eat breakfast and dinner?" Dumbledore asked them.

"We finished around nine o'clock, because I went straight to work right after," Percy informed him. "I got home about a half hour after dinner started, so dinner started around six."

"When were you in the garden?"

"From maybe eleven o'clock or so until around one, when I went in for lunch. Then I didn't go back out until three or four."

Dumbledore nodded. "The wards weren't disturbed, so no one came and took her, nor did she leave via portkey. You would have seen her if she left the house and went out of the wards."

"That leaves the Floo," Percy deduced. "Could she have been under the Imperious?"

"Nott," Ron hissed. "He probably did something to her."

"I'll be back shortly," Dumbledore said. "I'm going to check the Floo records at the Ministry."

It took Dumbledore nearly a half hour to return, and when he did, his face was solemn.

"Percy was correct. Ginny activated your Floo connection at 12:38 in the afternoon, and traveled to a restricted destination."

"We have to find her!" Ron exclaimed. "I told all of you, Nott's tricked her or something. He's probably done it from the very beginning."

Mr. Weasley asked, "Molly, where does your clock say Ginny is?"

Mrs. Weasley paled. How could she have forgotten her clock? She should have checked it at the very beginning. But she gasped when she looked at the clock that told of the location of her family members. Ginny's hand was cycling between 'home' and 'safe'.

"That's not possible!" she exclaimed.

'I wonder...' Dumbledore thought to himself. To the Weasleys he said, "I'm going to make another trip to the Ministry."

This trip took the headmaster longer than the first, and after almost an hour, he returned to the Burrow with several pieces of parchment in hand. "I apologize for taking so long. It seems that Ginny petitioned to be emancipated."

"Wouldn't she need our permission?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Only if she was fourteen," Percy said. "Witches and wizards age fifteen and older can be emancipated without their parents' consent. But Ginny doesn't have money or a place to go, so it must not have been granted. She probably ran away to that boyfriend of hers instead."

"Then can't we go get her?" Ron asked. "Show that Deatheater who's boss?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Actually, it was granted. A family has agreed to house her, and they've also given her a trust vault with a sum totaling 10,000 galleons."

"Bloody hell," Ron said.

"Who was it?" Molly asked, now furious. "It was the Notts, wasn't it?"

"No, it was actually the Greengrass family," Dumbledore said.

"And they're basically untouchable," Percy said bitterly.

"Correct, but Ginny must return to Hogwarts in the fall, as a condition of her emancipation. Perhaps we could...convince her to return home then."

* * *

><p>Returning home wasn't a thought that even crossed Ginny's mind. Her second day with the Greengrass family, Daphne and her mother took her shopping. They avoided Diagon Alley altogether and went to Belle Rue in Paris instead.<p>

* * *

><p>O.W.L. results came out in July. It wasn't something that Harry was dreading, since he knew that he had had done well. But waking up from a magically induced sleep right before his first exam may have impacted his scores a bit.<p>

He opened the parchment envelope, and took out his score sheet.

Ancient Runes - O

Arithmacy - O

Astronomy - O

Care of Magical Creatures - O

Charms - O*/**

Defense Against the Dark Arts - O*/**

Herbology - O

History of Magic - O

Potions - O

Transfiguration - O*/**

* = Highest Score Out of All Hogwarts Test Takers.

** = Perfect Score.

Bloody hell. He hadn't expected that. Well, he had expected mostly 'O's but he wouldn't have been surprised if there had been a few 'E's.

He headed to the library on the third floor. "Mother? Father?"

"Yes, Harry?" His mother appeared from behind a shelf and rushed over. "Are you sure you don't need more rest? You don't look very well."

"Julia, I'm sure he's fine. It's been over a month and the Healers have had nothing but good news." Then he caught sight of the parchment in Harry's hand. "Ah, I see. O.W.L. results have come in. How did you do?"

Harry simply handed him the score sheet and found a comfortable chair to sit down in.

"Bloody hell," his father said, looking at the scores.

"Is everything okay?" his mother asked. "Should we have just let him take them over the summer?"

"No, Julia. Look."

Harry's mother scanned the sheet as well. "My goodness, Harry! Congratulations. Now, I believe that this warrants a celebration." She snapped her fingers and a house elf appeared, and Harry's mother instructed it to make all of Harry's favorites for dinner that night.

Later that day, Harry and his friends all met at Draco's home to discuss their scores and classes for the following year, and it was decided that they all agreed to drop History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures.

"I don't want to be eaten," Draco said.

"I want to keep all of my limbs," Harry added.

It turned out that Daphne had gotten a perfect score on her Potions O.W.L., while Theo claimed the top spots in both Ancient Runes and Arithmacy. Pansy got the highest score in Care of Magical Creatures. But their reactions to Harry's scores were priceless.

"Three perfect scores!" Pansy said excitedly. "Do you know how rare that is? I bet Granger didn't do nearly as well."

Blaise replied, "Let's hope not. The fewer classes we have with Granger the better."

The six of them sent their list of classes to Professor McGonagall, and then sat back and enjoyed the rest of their summer they also continued their training with the Dark Lord.

* * *

><p><strong>Review, please.<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who read and/or reviewed. I really, truly appreciate it. I'm sorry that it took a while to update...I have a busy summer ahead of me, and I'm away for most of it, so updates are definitely going to slow down.**

**Warnings: Language.**

_**Last Time: **_**The six of them sent their list of classes to Professor McGonagall, and then sat back and enjoyed the rest of their summer.**

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><p><span>CHAPTER 16<span>

Fred and George opened the first store for Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes a week after O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. results came out. They had each managed to get three N.E.W.T.s, in Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology, but it didn't matter, since they had managed to start their own business form the ground up.

So much for a "respectable" job.

They were just in time for the summer rush, when people were returning from vacation. They announced their grand opening by setting off fireworks above the store, and canceling the cloaking spell on the building, which revealed that the drab, gray stone was actually painted bright yellow.

Hogwarts students who knew them, either personally or through their mail order business spread the word about the store, and they sold out of most of their products by the end of the week.

"Well, that was easy," George joked.

* * *

><p>Just before Hogwarts letters arrived, Dumbledore announced that Horace Slughorn would be coming out of retirement to teach Potions and be Slytherin's new head of house.<p>

"You'll have a competent teacher for once," Regulus told Harry. "He knows what he's doing and he's relatively unbiased, but he has his favorites for sure."

Hogwarts letters arrived in the first week of August, containing their booklists. Harry also received a personal invitation from his new professor, inviting him to join him for lunch on the train. He checked with his friends and found that they had received similar invites.

As usual, they went to Diagon Alley and shopped for books, parchment, and ink, as well as new robes. Before they left, they stopped by Gringotts. While Harry waited for his father to finish whatever he was doing, he heard a slightly accented voice say his name.

"Harry?"

He turned around and was shocked to see his competitor from nearly two years ago. "Fleur, what are you doing here?"

"I was working at Gringotts' Paris branch. Now I work here. Bill's helping me with my English."

"Well, you English definitely sounds better to me. How are you?"

"Fine." Fleur then greeted the rest of Harry's friends. "You're in sixth year now, _oui_?"

Daphne nodded, "We start our N.E.W.T. classes this year."

"It is hard but it is worth it in the end. Oh, there's Bill!" Fleur waved Bill over to them, and Harry discovered that she meant Bill Weasley.

He seemed to recognize them, but was instantly friendly. "Nice to meet all of you, finally," he said. He had the same shocking red hair as the rest of his family, but his hung down to his shoulders. "Ron and the twins talk about you all the time."

"Then ignore anything Ron says," Blaise responded.

"I figured that much out for myself. Ron's ignorant, and so are my parents. That's why I moved out."

"Did you hear about Ginny?" Theo asked in a quieter voice.

Bill nodded. "My parents said that she'd gone missing, but that's all they've told me."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Ginny ran away. With the help of an esteemed lawyer and the generosity of the Greengrass family, she's now emancipated."

"Where is she? Can I see her?"

"She's at home with my parents," Daphne replied. "We didn't want to risk a public confrontation with the rest of your family this early."

"That was a good idea, Daphne," Pansy said. "Because it looks like we have a weasel infestation."

Sure enough, the Weasleys, well Ron, Percy, and their parents, were speaking to a goblin at one of the counters. Bill waved goodbye to them, and then he and Fleur left.

Harry saw his father approaching them, so he said to his friends, "Let's go."

But as they were about to leave, Harry heard Ron yell, "Nott! What the bloody hell did you do to my sister?"

"Keep walking," Harry's father said sternly. "We need to get outside. The last thing we want is for the goblins to think that we instigated violence on their territory."

They managed to walk as quickly and as dignified as possible until they had reached the cobblestone street outside. But Ron just had to follow them. He rushed over to them and grabbed Theo by the front of his robes.

"Watch where you put your grimy little hands, Weasley," Theo said calmly.

"Where's my sister?" Ron demanded.

"I don't know," Theo replied. "She's not here, obviously."

"What do you mean?" Percy said, joining his brother. "You did something to her!"

"I did nothing. She wanted to leave, so she found help. Now I suggest that you unhand me before me father sues you for galleons that you don't have."

Ron eventually released his hold on Theo, and Theo made a show of straightening his creased clothing.

Regulus, noticing that they had already attracted too much attention, decided not to engage Ron's parents and instead said, "Let's go. We have better people to be around then this riff raff."

* * *

><p>On September first, they boarded the train. Daphne and Theo helped steer Ginny though the crowd so that her family couldn't catch a glimpse of her. After they found a compartment, Harry and Daphne headed to the prefects meeting.<p>

This year's Head Girl was Cho Chang, and the Head Boy was Cormac McLaggen. The meeting was similar to last year's, and then they dispersed. The seventh years had the first patrol and the sixth years were last, so Harry and Daphne had _plenty _of time to attend Slughorn's luncheon.

They found the train car where their professor was hosting it and stepped inside.

"Ah, Harrison, Daphne, so pleased to see you. For a while there, I thought you couldn't make it."

"We apologize," Harry said smoothly. "We had the prefects meeting, you see. And please, call me Harry."

"So that's were Miss Chang and Mr. McLaggen must be. Now take a seat and help yourselves."

Harry sat down and glanced around the table. Pansy, Theo, Blaise, and Draco were there, as was Ginny. Dean Thomas, Susan Bones, Ernie Macmillan, Jessica, and Higgs were also present. And to his disgust, right across from him, was Granger.

As they dug into their lunch, Professor Slughorn said, "Welcome to the Slug Club, as I call this little group of mine." Here, Harry swore that he heard Theo almost choke on his salad. "All of you have the potential to become great." Slughorn asked Hermione, "So, I heard your O.W.L. scores are quite impressive. And eleven O.W.L.'s is quite a feat."

Hermione preened under the attention. "Thank you. I studied quite hard."

"What were your scores, if you don't mind me asking?" Pansy said with false politeness.

"Well I got 'O's in Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, and Muggle Studies, which I got the top score in. And then I got 'E's in Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, and Arithmacy. And an 'A' in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but that was probably a grading mistake."

"So Miss Granger," Slughorn continued, "what do you want to pursue after Hogwarts?"

"Well, I want to work in the Ministry and get rights for underrepresented creatures like house elves."

Most of the pureblooded students in the room looked at her with incredulous expressions on their faces. Slughorn forced a pleasant expression on his face and said, "That's very nice Miss Granger." Then he turned to Draco. "So, how has your father been lately?"

"He's been quite busy. Minister of Magic is a rather busy job, of course. But all of the different policies and laws are _so _fascinating."

Harry snorted. Law and policy put Draco to sleep on a good day.

"What about you, Mr. Black?"

"Well, I've spent the summer recovering after my rather unfortunate accident last spring. My father wants me to learn what it means to be a lord in the Wizengamot, but I figure that I still have a few years before I need to address that. Right now, my focus is on Quidditch."

"Ah, yes, I heard about that. Truly unfortunate. But Irma...err...Madam Hooch, told me all about how fantastic you are in the air. Breathtaking. I can't wait to see you play this year."

"Of course, Professor."

Harry and Daphne managed to escape the luncheon before it ended by mentioning their terribly important prefect duties, and then they dashed away.

* * *

><p>The train arrived at Hogsmeade station, and as always, the older students took the Thestral-pulled carriages up to the school, while the first years took the boats with Hagrid.<p>

And sure enough, at the start-of-year feast, Dumbledore announced that Hagrid would be resuming his role as Care of Magical Creatures professor.

As they walked towards the dungeons, Daphne commented, "I'm so glad we decided not to take his N.E.W.T. class. I'm not sure if all of us would have gotten out alive."

* * *

><p>As the new fifth year prefects were responsible for overseeing the first years, Harry and Daphne got a break, which was good, considering their class schedule. Every single day was packed full of classes. Since they were at the N.E.W.T. level now, all of their classes met twice a week in addition to a once a week double session.<p>

"We're going to die," Draco moaned after catching a glimpse of his schedule.

Pansy smacked his shoulder. "Don't be overdramatic. You can handle it."

But if they had thought O.W.L. level classes were hard, N.E.W.T. level classes were certainly harder. If not in terms of the subject matter, than the sheer amount of work their teachers piled on them. In addition, Jessica had been made Quidditch captain, and although Harry knew that she was nice, she would probably be as tough as Warrington, if not tougher.

* * *

><p>But another obstacle came their way before Quidditch tryouts, in the form of Blaise finding Ginny in the hallway one day. He brought her to the dungeons, and then had her wait outside while she got Theo from the Slytherin common room.<p>

"Ginny, what's wrong?"

"My whole house hates me," Ginny said, finally releasing her hold on the tears that had wanted to fall since the beginning of the term. "And it's not even Ron's fault, since they hate him too. They hate me for being with you."

"What about Dean? Has he tried to help you?"

"He tried to help me yesterday. His bed got slashed open. The time before that, Seamus gave him a black eye."

Theo muttered, "Bastards." To Ginny he said, "Come on. We should find Professor McGonagall. She should know what to do."

When they were hallway to McGonagall's office, Ginny's bag split open and the contents tumbled to the floor. Theo heard giggles and pattering feet, and caught a flash of long hair as the perpetrators disappeared around a corner.

"Not again," he heard Ginny mumble.

"This is happened before?"

Ginny nodded before saying, "At least every other day since classes started."

"Then don't fix it. We'll show Professor McGonagall. I'll get you a new bag anyway, since the more times you repair something with magic the weaker it gets."

They continued the rest of the way to McGonagall's office, and then knocked on the door.

"Come in." Theo pushed open the door and Ginny followed him inside. "Hello, Mr. Nott, Miss Weasley. How can I help you?"

"Hello, Professor," Theo said, sitting down in one of the wooden chairs in front of her desk. Ginny sat down as well. "We have a bit of a situation on our hands."

"What is it?"

Ginny presented her bag. "This is at least the seventh or eighth time this has happened, Professor."

Professor McGonagall examined the severed seams with a stern look on her face. "Do you know who's been doing this?"

"No. It's always from behind, and usually on the way to classes."

"It's been Gryffindors, though," Theo said. McGonagall gave him a look. "I don't mean to be biased, Professor, but they're targeting her because she's dating me. And they've gone after anyone who's tried to help her."

"What does he mean, Miss Weasley?"

"Dean Thomas has tried to defend me. But I told him to stop, since all its doing is causing him trouble. Seamus gave him a black eye once, and then someone slashed open his bed yesterday."

Professor McGonagall looked furious. "Miss Weasley, if you wish to switch houses, you, and who ever would like to join you, has my full permission and support."

"You can switch houses?" Ginny asked.

"You can request a resorting, and the Sorting Hat will put you wherever you best belong. It's very rare that resorting is requested, and even rarer that these requests are granted. Since you are emancipated, you can make the request on your own behalf."

"Thank you, Professor."

After they left Professor McGonagall's office, they journey to the Astronomy Tower.

"Are you going to do it?" Theo asked her.

"I don't know," Ginny replied. "It'll make them hate me even more."

"Screw them," Theo said vehemently. "They don't deserve you. I don't want to see you hurt Ginny. Please, just consider it."

"I will, don't worry."

She was about to leave, but Theo slipped something into her hand. It was a necklace. A heart-shaped locket, carved with the initials 'G.W. + T.N.', hung on a smooth silver chain.

"I'd hate myself if anything happened to you. Wear it, please."

"What is it?" Ginny asked, holding the necklace up to the light.

"It's a portkey, and if you open it, it's a two way mirror. Just call my name and I'll be there." Theo revealed a hand held mirror of a similar design.

"These are supposed to be really rare."

Theo chuckled. "I know. I wanted to give it to you for your birthday, but it wasn't ready in time. And I wanted to give it to you in person. Do you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you. I know it will come in handy."

* * *

><p>But while Ginny thought about her decision, she still had to endure being a Gryffindor. Eventually, she wrote a letter to Dumbledore, and then waited to find out her fate.<p>

* * *

><p>The following week, Jessica held Quidditch tryouts for Slytherin. With Warrington and Montague gone, they needed two new chasers.<p>

It was clear from the beginning that the first and second years couldn't keep up to Draco, much less dodge the bludgers sent their way by Higgs and Jack. The third years weren't much better. By the time tryouts were over, the returning players were ready to give up.

"That was the worst Quidditch I've seen in a long time," Jessica moaned. "At this rate, even Hufflepuff will field a better team than us. Is anyone in your year interested in trying out?" she asked Jack.

He shook his head. "They were too intimidated. And not many of them like flying that much anyway."

"Well if Ginny does what I think she's going to do, we'll have at least one more chaser. Hogwarts rules allow you to fly a man down if you can't field a full team," Draco said.

"What's she doing?" Jessica asked eagerly.

"She's requesting to be resorted," Draco said. "At least, Theo said she was considering it. If she does, chances are she'll be in Slytherin. And she's a bloody good flyer to boot."

"We'd probably still get massacred, but it that would be better than not playing at all."

* * *

><p>Nearly a week later, Ginny got a response to her inquiry.<p>

_Dear Miss Weasley,_

_Your request to be resorted has been granted. Please be in the Headmaster's office after dinner._

_-Professor McGonagall_

Ginny glanced at her watch. She had less than an hour before dinner. She couldn't wait. Finally, it would be over.

But little did she know that Professor McGonagall had had to fight tooth and nail in order to get Professor Dumbledore to grant Ginny's request. His argument was that the Weasleys were always in Gryffindor, and one confused girl wouldn't change that. The Sorting Hat would just put her back where she belonged.

After dinner, Ginny took the stairs two at a time on the way up to the headmaster's office.

"Are you ready, Miss Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Ginny nodded and plopped herself down on the stool.

"Are you sure that you want to do this Miss Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Yes, I'm sure." And then the room disappeared from view as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

"_Why hello there Miss Weasley. I haven't resorted a student in quite a while. Too many years to count, in fact. It's very rare that I'm wrong after all. Or maybe you've just changed...that must be it. Now where do you want to be placed?"_

"_What? I get a choice?"_

"_You're the one who wanted to be resorted. You must have an opinion."_

"_Slytherin, please."_

"_Well you've become quite resourceful, and the slightest bit sly. You're not as ambitious, as say, Harrison Black, but you'll definitely belong in..._SLYTHERIN!"

Ginny took of the hat and handed it to Professor McGonagall. "Thank you," she said to both her headmaster and Transfiguration teacher. They all watched as the crest on her robes changed from scarlet and gold to green and silver, and the lion morphed into a snake.

"Your trunk will be taken to the Slytherin dormitories. If you visit Professor Slughorn, he will gladly give you the password for the common room."

"Yes, Professor."

Ginny left and practically skipped down the stairs, all the way down to the dungeons.

* * *

><p>Jessica was definitely glad that Ginny had been made a Slytherin. She held an impromptu tryout for the younger girl the day after she had been resorted, and Ginny clearly outclassed the other flyers that had tried out before.<p>

"So we're just going to fly two Chasers?" Draco asked Jessica after Ginny had completed her tryout.

Jessica nodded. "We don't have a choice. I'm not sending out subpar players just so we can have a full roster."

* * *

><p>The first test for the Slytherin team didn't come before the first game, but early on in their training together. At the end of one of their practice sessions, a certain member of Gryffindor approached them.<p>

"Ginny, Dumbledore wants to see you in his office," Ron said.

"Then I'll go after a change," Ginny said, giving her brother a wide berth. Jessica and Jack followed her.

Ron glared at his sister's back and then turned to Harry. "What have you done to her?" he said, his voice heavy with the accusation.

"I haven't done anything other than be her friend."

Ron raised his wand and pointed it towards Harry's face. "Shut up."

"Oh, have you finally got the courage to curse me to my face. Fantastic Gryffindor bravery right there. Shouldn't you be in detention?"

"Dumbledore got me cleared from my punishment. He said that I had suffered enough from wallowing in my guilt all summer." The look on Ron's face told Harry that he hadn't suffered any guilt at all.

"Good to know you were so worried about my wellbeing," Harry answered flippantly. "So are you going to lower your wand, or send another pathetic, underpowered spell at me?"

Ron saw that he was outnumbered four to one, so he lowered his wand, turned on his heel, and strode back up to the castle.

"What a bastard," Draco muttered.

* * *

><p>Once they returned to their dormitory, Harry and Draco looked for Ginny on the Marauder's Map. And they looked, and looked. She wasn't there. Draco rushed down the common room to find Jessica while Harry continued to stare at the map.<p>

Draco returned a few moments later. "Jessica says she dropped her off at Dumbledore's office nearly an hour ago."

"No meeting takes more than an hour. And she's not even on the map. Come on, we have to find Theo."

They found their friend in the library with Pansy, Daphne, and Blaise.

"Don't you need books to study?" Theo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Theo, it's an emergency. Come on, we have to go," Draco said.

All of them heard the desperation in Draco's voice and hurried to pack up their things. After all, Malfoys never acted desperate. "What is it?" Theo asked.

"It's Ginny. Dumbledore wanted to meet with her, and Jessica took her there an hour ago. We checked the map and Ginny's not anywhere on it."

Theo's face paled, "One second." He pulled his mirror out of his pocket and said into it, "Ginny?"

Ginny's voice could be heard saying, "Theo?"

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><p><strong>Comments, questions, and concerns are always welcome. Review, please. <strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. I'm sorry that it took so long to update, and I hope you like the following chapter.**

**Warnings: Language.**

_**Last Time: **_**Ginny's voice could be heard saying, "Theo?"**

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><p><span>CHAPTER 17<span>

"Ginny, where are you? Please tell me that you're alright."

"I'm fine," Ginny said. She sounded puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

"Where are you? Harry and Draco couldn't find you anywhere."

"There's this room on the seventh floor, past the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy."

"Okay, stay there. We'll be there soon." Theo ended his conversation and the mirror went blank. "You heard that right?" he asked his friends.

"That's odd," Harry said as he inspected the Marauder's Map. "The room Ginny's talking about isn't on the Map."

"Then let's go."

The six of them climbed the moving staircases all the way up to the seventh floor. They quickly found the tapestry that Ginny spoke of. They all jumped when a door appeared in the previously blank wall at the end of the corridor, and Ginny stepped out of it.

"Bloody hell," Draco muttered.

"Ginny, please don't do that again," Theo said, enveloping her into a hug.

"I know, I'm sorry." Ginny appeared quite contrite.

"What did Dumbledore have to say?" Harry asked.

"He tried to talk me into going home over the holidays, instead of spending them at Greengrass Manor. The thing is, if I go home, I know my mum might not let me leave."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Pansy said seriously.

"But what was that room?" Blaise wondered aloud.

Ginny looked up from where her head was comfortably resting against Theo's chest and said, "The house elves told me that it's called the Come-And-Go Room, or the room of Requirement. The room can turn into anything you need it to be."

"I wonder why it isn't on the Map," Harry said as he examined the image of the corridor on the Marauder's Map. But then something caught his eye that made him a little more than worried. "Ginny, let's get back to the common room. Now."

"What is it?"

Harry showed Draco the Map before muttering, "Mischief managed," and then folding it and sliding it into his pocket.

Draco announced, "Ginny's parents are here. In Dumbledore's office. We have to go."

They used secret passages to get back to the dungeons in record time.

Except Ron Weasley was watching from the shadows as they whispered the password, "Purity," and slipped inside to safety.

* * *

><p>In Dumbledore's office, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, along with Percy, were arguing with the esteemed headmaster.<p>

"You said that you'd get her to come back," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I talked to her and there's nothing else I can do. You know that she's close friends with Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Black, and especially Miss Greengrass. Their parents could run me into the ground if I do anything wrong. "

"Mum, he's right," Percy said, trying to convince his mother. "Ginny's untouchable now."

"No, she's not! She's my daughter!"

The other occupants of the room sighed. This was going to take a while.

* * *

><p>Down in the dungeons, Ron Weasley grinned as he whispered the password to the wall of stone that was the entrance to the Slytherin common room. The wall turned inwards, and he walked along the passageway until he could catch a glimpse of the understated luxury that was Slytherin. Students were lounging on couches and chairs, and he could see his sister's brilliant hair from where he stood.<p>

Ron smirked. He had managed to go where no Gryffindor had gone before.

He swaggered into the common room with his wand drawn.

His appearance was noticed instantly by every occupant in the room.

"Fifth year prefects, take the younger years to your rooms and stay there until an older student comes by," Harry commanded.

They listened to him immediately, ushering the first, second, third, and fourth years down the halls to the dormitories.

"What the fuck do you want, Weasley?" Draco asked while pulling out his wand and idly holding it in his fingers.

"We want Ginny back."

"You drove her away," Theo said, also pulling out his wand.

"No, you took her away from us! You have her under the Imperius or something!"

"Ron, I'm not under the Imperius," Ginny said, but her wand was also up. "I'm in Slytherin because you and everyone drove me out of Gryffindor. I'm living with Daphne because you, Mum, Dad, and Percy didn't listen. And I'm dating Theo because I love him. So get over yourself and shut up before we hex the shit out of you."

But Ron decided to try again, "Don't you see it Ginny, he's using you."

"I swear that I'd never do anything to hurt her," Theo said. "Now go crawl back to whatever shit hole that you came from, Weasley."

"Do yourself a favor and get out of our common room," Jessica added.

Ron turned to leave, but the he whipped back around and shot a stunner into the room. Jack tried to avoid it, but it hit him and he crumpled to the floor.

Bad move.

While Jessica half-dragged and half-carried Jack to the safety of the dormitories, the remaining students returned fire, and soon, Ron was on the carpet in the Slytherin common room, knocked out and wrapped in ropes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Professor Slughorn had arrived.

"You see, Professor," Harry said. "Ron snuck into the common room and started yelling ridiculous accusations. I feared for the rest of our house's safety, so I had the fifth year prefects take the younger students to the dormitories. Ron hit Jack with a stunner, so we felt that it was necessary to...subdue him."

"You mean Jack Hayworth?" Harry nodded. "Very well. Well done, Mr. Black. Miss Greengrass, you may retrieve the younger students and tell them that the danger has passed. Where is Mr. Hayworth?"

"Right here, Professor," Jessica said from the corridor leading to the dormitories. "I've revived him, and he's fine. Just a bit of a nasty bump on his head."

"I'm fine, Professor," Jack called out.

"Miss Vaisey, if you would take Mr. Hayworth to the hospital wing, just so Madame Pomfrey can look him over."

"Yes, Professor." Jessica helped Jack up and led him out of the common room.

"I must call the headmaster so we can see what to do about this. I'll be back momentarily."

Slughorn presumably went to his office to use the floo to call Dumbledore, and then he returned with the headmaster in tow.

"What's going on here, Horace?"

"There seems to have been an issue with Mr. Weasley."

"Ron followed us in here and attacked us," Pansy said with a sniff if her pug-like nose. "So we restrained him after he hit Jack with a stunner. Jessica took Jack to the hospital wing."

"I see."

"If Ron gets off for this, headmaster, I assure you that my father will have something to say," Draco said.

"You don't need to threaten me, Mr. Malfoy. I'll see to Mr. Weasleys punishment." Dumbledore waved his wand and the ropes around Ron unraveled. Ron stood up, gingerly rubbing his wrists, and followed Dumbledore out.

"Watch him get a week of detention or something ridiculous like that," Harry said.

"Dumbledore's done it once and he'll do it again," Draco said. "I'm going to go write a letter to my father. You should too, Harry."

"Oh, I will."

* * *

><p>Of course, Ron got away with it.<p>

However, in revenge, Harry and Draco wrote letters to their fathers that were written in code and meant to be passed on to the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort wasn't happy, to say the least.

The _Daily Prophet _that came out a few days later showed his anger.

_WEASLEYS ATTACKED, HOME IN RUINS_

Underneath the headline was a large photo of the Weasleys home, the Burrow, up in flames. The Dark Mark was in the sky above it. It looked like Dumbledore would need a new place to hold his meetings for the Order of the Phoenix.

_Deatheaters attacked the home of the Weasley family early last night. The members or the family that were home (Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, and Percy Weasley) managed to escape without harm, and they are now staying at a safe location. There is reason to suspect that they were attacked because of their affiliation with Albus Dumbledore._

Harry smirked when he put down the paper. It looked like the second wizarding war was about to begin.

Ron's face when he arrived in the Great Hall was priceless. It was a mixture of shock and disbelief. He looked crushed. At the Slytherin table, Ginny scanned all of their faces. "What did you do?"

"I told my father about what your brother did," Draco said concisely.

"And your father brought it to _his _attention, didn't he," Ginny said.

"You know what side we're on," Draco said. "We told you over a year ago."

"I know. It's just that it's real now. This is actually happening."

"It won't come to Hogwarts this year," Theo said. "At least I hope not. Dumbledore has to respond though, because the Ministry isn't going to. After all, Draco's father is the Minister of Magic."

"This isn't breakfast table conversation," Harry reminded them in a low voice.

"He's right," Blaise said. "You never know who is listening."

Or who may charge into the Great Hall. Molly Weasley, with traces of soot on her cheeks and her shabby robes singed, strode into the Great Hall.

Harry sighed. He should have known that Dumbledore would let them stay at Hogwarts.

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY! YOU ARE COMING WITH ME RIGHT NOW!"

"Bloody hell," Pansy said. "She's louder in person."

Theo scooted closer to Ginny and whispered in her ear, "The portkey will take you to Malfoy Manor.

Mrs. Malfoy can keep you safe. The phrase is-"

"I can deal with her, Theo," Ginny said resolutely. "You don't need to protect me all of the time."

Mrs. Weasley had reached the Slytherin table. "Ginny, come with me," she said, reaching to grab Ginny's wrist.

But Ginny backed up. "No."

"What?"

"I said no."

"You're coming with me whether you like it or not." Mrs. Weasley grabbed up Ginny's wrist and began to haul her out of the Great Hall.

"Get off me!"

There was a burst of magic and Mrs. Weasley was flung into the entrance hall. Ginny crumpled to the floor , and Theo rushed over to her.

* * *

><p>"She's magically exhausted," Madame Pomfrey explained. "I would suggest that she just leave and return after the holidays. She should be fully recovered by then."<p>

"But it's her O.W.L. year!" Theo exclaimed.

"And what about Quidditch?" Draco asked. "We won't have enough people to play if she goes home!"

And then Dumbledore stepped into the room, looking very, very worried. "It doesn't matter, Mr. Malfoy. Quidditch is canceled for now."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Deatheaters were spotted in Hogsmeade. Horace, if you would go make an announcement to your house? Filius, Minerva, and Pomona are already informing their students."

Slughorn nodded and ducked out of the room.

"I'll have to ask the six of you to return to your dormitory. Poppy has Miss Weasley well looked after."

"I'm not going anywhere, _sir_," Theo replied. He sat down in the chair next to Ginny's bedside.

But his five friends had no choice, and they slowly left the hospital wing.

Once they were back in the dungeons, Harry pulled out his mirror and called his father.

"Deatheaters are in Hogsmeade. Did you know?"

His father sighed. "Lucius told me last night. The Dark Lord didn't want any students involved, so he instructed us not to tell any of you. You know that you'd be one of the first to rush into the fight."

"Fine. But what's the point of that?"

"Don't question the Dark Lord, Harry. And besides, Dumbledore's there. He's on the lookout for students in the Dark Lord's ranks. If he caught wind of your involvement, you'd be out of Hogwarts so fast that your head would spin."

Harry nodded. "I understand, Father."

"Good. I'll see you over the winter holidays."

"Goodbye, Father."

* * *

><p>The aftermath of the attack wasn't pretty. Half of Hogsmeade was destroyed, and a heavy cloud of smoke hung over the village. The shells of burned buildings stood out against the horizon.<p>

Quidditch was canceled, and they weren't allowed outside. Professor Sprout's classes moved to a classroom inside the castle, and so were Hagrid's. There was a feeling of doom and gloom that permeated the castle in the weeks leading up to the winter holidays.

Ginny had ended up staying and studying only the practical portions of her classes. She got back to using her wand a week before it was time to go home.

* * *

><p>They took the Hogwarts Express home as usual, and it was clear that the parents on the platform were panicky. Harry and his friends hustled to find their parents and then they hurried home.<p>

"The Dark Lord wants to see you immediately," Regulus told his son once they were in the privacy of their own home.

"Do you know what he wants?" Harry asked as his mother handed him a portkey.

"No, just go."

The portkey activated and Harry landed on his feet inside the Dark Lord's meeting room. His friends joined him within moments.

Then Voldemort appeared, followed by Neville and Rabastan.

Harry said lightly, "You wished to see us?"

"Yes, I did. You see, Dumbledore is trying to stop us, especially after the attacks on the Weasleys and Hogsmeade. He has not realized how strong we have become. But the attack on Hogsmeade served another purpose. It acted as a cover while Rabastan identified the wards surrounding Hogwarts."

"What did you find?" Draco asked.

"They're nearly impenetrable," Rabastan said in a gruff voice. "We could get through but it would take too long. We need another way into the castle."

Neville spoke up. "There's a vanishing cabinet in Borgin and Burke's. It took a while for me to convince Borgin to tell me, but the cabinet's mate is in Hogwarts."

"The Room of Requirement," Blaise said. "I was looking around and found a room of hidden things. There was a cabinet there. It was tall and wooden, and had latches with runes on them. Is that it?"

The Dark Lord looked at her. "You found the Room of Requirement?"

Theo said, "Actually, Ginny found it."

"But I did some exploring on my own afterwards," Blaise explained.

"That sounds like it, though," Neville said, bringing the conversation back on track. "Both of them are in working order. I made Borgin test them himself."

"Good, good," Voldemort said. "But this is what I want the eight of you to do. I want you to lead an attack on Diagon Alley as a diversion while a small force of Deatheaters and I gain control of the Ministry. Do you think you can handle that?"

"What do you mean by 'eight of us'?" Pansy asked.

"Ginny Weasley will be joining you. Make sure she knows everything she needs to know. Be prepared to attack over the week before the Easter holidays. A month after I deal with the Ministry, we will deal with Dumbledore. Also, begin look for some help. I sure plenty of people in Hogwarts will be willing to follow you."

* * *

><p><strong>I know it was short, but please review. I promise that the next chapter will be longer. Things are going to get more exciting. Only a few chapters to go.<strong>

**Update (7/18/2012): Okay, so I lied. The last chapter will be the last one (unless you want an epilogue...review and let me know), so I'll try to make it great.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just like messing with J.K. Rowling's characters.**

**Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. By the way, I was wrong. This will be the last chapter.**

**Warnings: Language, death. A bit descriptive in places, just a heads up for those who are a bit squeamish.**

_**Last Time: **_**"Ginny Weasley will be joining you. Make sure she knows everything she needs to know. Be prepared to attack over the week before the Easter holidays. A month after I deal with the Ministry, we will deal with Dumbledore. Also, begin look for some help. I sure plenty of people in Hogwarts will be willing to follow you."**

* * *

><p><span>CHAPTER 18<span>

The winter holidays went by quickly. Upon their return to Hogwarts, they chose the Room of Requirement as their new headquarters, and the room became what they both wanted and needed.

Black and gray hangings framed the thick windows, and there was an area for practicing spells and dueling. There was a study area with bookshelves, tables, and chairs. In case of emergency, Harry also asked for a space to stay. Several sets of bunk beds appeared in the corner.

Harry explained to his friends, "We'll need a place to stay if something goes wrong."

The vanishing cabinet had already been relocated to their new training space, but it was currently locked.

Once the room was finished, Theo left and returned with Ginny. Then the six older student explained the Dark Lord's decree.

"So I'm one of the Dark Lord's apprentices?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Ginny, you're powerful. You have to realize that," Theo said. "Since you've recovered, the six of us will be training you. We'll have to work fast, though. The Dark Lord has plans. He wants to take over the Ministry and he wants us to lead an attack on Diagon Alley the week before the Easter holidays."

"Why us?"

Blaise said, "It's a diversion. We'll be in Diagon attracting all of the attention while the Dark Lord pays a visit to the Ministry and takes over."

Ginny nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Let's get to work."

All of them buckled down and started looking for not friends, but followers. It was no secret that most of Slytherin supported the Dark Lord, so they started with their own house. It was an unspoken rule that they wouldn't allow anyone below fourth year to join them, no matter how eager they were.

Jessica and Jack were among the first to sign up. There were several others, and after a few days, they had over twenty volunteers from Slytherin alone.

Next was Ravenclaw. The conflict had divided Rowena's house in half, but a fair number of them sided with Harry and his friends. Among them were Luna Lovegood, one of Ginny's friends, and Cho Chang.

After dealing with the Ravenclaws, it was time to move onto the Hufflepuffs. It was tough to deal with the overly loyal members of the house, especially because many of them believed in Dumbledore. They ended up with significantly fewer recruits than they did from Ravenclaw and Slytherin, getting less than ten followers.

Then it was time to tackle Gryffindor. The only person that Harry would guarantee would join them was Dean Thomas. He was almost right. They only got one other person from Gryffindor, Parvati Patil, who only joined up because her twin sister, Padma, had already done so.

Everything was kept very hush-hush as harry and his friends worked right under Dumbledore's crooked nose. They called themselves the Dark Knights.

At their first meeting, Harry took charge.

"Welcome. As you know, we support the Dark Lord. We will be his eyes and ears within Hogwarts for the next several months. If at any time you think that anything we teach you is wrong, get the fuck out and don't come back. We'll make sure to wipe your memory so that you don't go squealing to Dumbledore."

"You will be our force within Hogwarts," Daphne continued. "If the six of us are forced to leave the castle, we will leave instructions for what you are to do."

"Before we say anything more, each of you has to sign this parchment as an oath of your loyalty to us and the Dark Lord," Theo said. As each person signed the parchment, his or her signature glowed white. Little did they know, Theo put a charm on the parchment. If someone betrayed his or her oath, something much worse than having his or her memory wiped would happen to them.

Once everyone had signed his or her name, Harry continued to speak. "I'm telling you now that the Dark Lord will win. He practically already has. By this time next year, Dumbledore will be dead, and the Dark Lord will be making our world a better place."

From there, they moved onto practical things, such as what the six apprentices would be teaching and when they would meet.

* * *

><p>The training of the Dark Knights progressed well, considering how difficult it was for everyone to get together at the same time. Meetings had to be scheduled around prefects' meetings and classes, as well as Slug Club dinners.<p>

They were still confined to the castle as a precaution, so there was no Quidditch or Hogsmeade visits, although the village was slowly being rebuilt. But then something happened that made everyone even more worried.

A few weeks before the Easter holidays, a _Daily Prophet _headline screamed:

_GREYBACK ATTACKS! 6-YEAR-OLD BOY DEAD!_

Harry grimaced. The Dark Lord had to do something about the werewolf, who was clearly going rogue. There was no use for him. Harry looked up to the staff table and saw Remus' ashen face. His professor's hands were clenching the paper so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"That mutt needs to be put down," Draco commented.

_A six-year-old boy, whose identity is yet to be released, was attacked by infamous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. The boy's parents rushed their child to St. Mungo's, were he died of his injuries._

"_It was a mess," an onlooker, who wishes to remain anonymous, commented. "There was blood everywhere. His face was gone."_

_While the extent of the boy's fatal injuries are not known, Greyback is known to be vicious and bloodthirsty. Should you encounter him, remember that he is a dangerous wizard and a known follower of You-Know-Who. Do not engage him, and get away from the area as quickly as possible. Do not leave young children alone. Report all sightings to the Auror Office._

"Something needs to be done," Daphne said. "Greyback's become too dangerous. He's not even a marked Deatheater. I wonder who the boy was though."

"By the looks of it, it was the Patils' younger brother." Harry nodded in the direction of the Ravenclaw table, where both sisters were sitting. They were huddled together, looking blankly at a piece of parchment.

"You should talk to Remus," Blaise said. "The Patils aren't the only ones who look like they're hurting."

"I will," Harry assured her.

The Patil sisters' grief became much more obvious when the truth hit home and they both began to wail. The sound echoed around the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>After classes that day, Harry went to Remus' office.<p>

"Are you alright?" he asked his professor-slash-surrogate-uncle.

Remus sighed heavily. "When Lucius spoke to me thirteen years ago, he told me that I could get revenge for what happened to me. But this isn't about me. This is about everyone else that Greyback's infected or killed."

"You know what we're doing, right?"

"Of course I do. I'm not stupid, Harry. Just whatever you do, leave Greyback to me. I want to see the light leave his eyes. I want to see the predator become prey."

* * *

><p>Padma and Parvati's absence was conspicuous over the following few days as they attended their brother's funeral and mourned with their family. But when they returned, they kicked things into high gear. They wanted revenge too.<p>

As the Easter holidays drew closer, Harry and his friends planned the logistics of the attack on Diagon Alley. They decided to make it more of a scare, and only kill people if they got in the way.

They would be wearing black cloaks and silver masks, so they people would know that they just weren't common Deatheaters. The Dark Lord gave them forty low-ranking Deatheaters to command, who were instructed to obey their every word.

Every Dark Knight was given corresponding alibis for Harry, Daphne, Pansy, Blaise, Draco, Theo, and Ginny, so that their tracks would be covered. But in the event that returning to Hogwarts wasn't possible, the group was given instructions for the vanishing cabinet. Their family's house elves would retrieve their things.

* * *

><p>Finally, it was the Tuesday before the winter holidays. As soon as classes ended for the day, Harry and his friends rushed to their rooms. Once they had everything they needed, they snuck out of the castle. Once they were outside the wards, they used their portkeys to go to Diagon Alley.<p>

They landed in a shadowy corner of Knockturn Alley, where the forty Deatheaters and Neville were waiting for them. They pulled their cloaks and masks on before the Deatheaters could identify them, and then Harry said, "This is the plan. There are eight of us and forty of you. So we will lead five each. Cause as much destruction as you can, except for Gringotts, Ollivander's, and Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. Don't kill unless you have to. If you see us go down, apparate away. Don't wait around to get captured."

The Deatheaters nodded from behind their masks. Harry could see in their eyes that they were ready for their first taste of the action. He was ready too, and so were his friends.

"Let's go."

They rushed out into Diagon Alley. Shop windows were smashed, displays were set alight, and people were sent scattering. It didn't take long for a large force of red-robed Aurors to show up. That's when the really fighting began.

Spells became deadly as people on both sides went down.

And then Harry's favorite person showed up. Dumbledore. And he was leading members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry and his friends fired spells as quickly as they could, but they he heard a shout of victory come from one of the members of the Order. Neville had gone down. The Deatheaters under his command began to apparate away.

It was a losing battle, but it didn't matter. Hopefully, the Dark Lord had been successful. Harry saw Theo rush over to Neville and portkey away with him. It was definitely time for them to go.

"Retreat!" he yelled. He made sure that the rest of the Deatheaters had started to apparate away, but then a spell blindsided him and knocked him off his feet. And it knocked his mask off. As he sat up, he noted the shock on Dumbledore's face, and then portkeyed away.

Harry was the last to arrive at the Dark Lord's headquarters. "We can't go back," he told Daphne, Blaise, Pansy, Draco, Theo, and Ginny. "Dumbledore saw my face."

They summoned their house elves and had them go to Hogwarts to get their things. They wouldn't be able to go home, either, as their families would be under suspicion.

After the logistics were taken care of, and he had showered and changed, Harry went to find Neville. He found him in his room, pulling on a fresh set shirt. His middle was bandaged and he winced each time he moved.

"I take it that the Dark Lord wants to see us?" Harry asked.

Neville nodded. "Rabastan says that their mission was a success." He finished getting dressed and they headed to the Dark Lord's meeting room together.

The rest of their friends were already there.

"Congratulations on your first mission," Voldemort said. "Although it could have gone better, I commend you for your effort. Seeing as you're still here, I'm guessing that Dumbledore recognized you?"

Harry nodded. "A spell knocked off my mask."

"That's fine. Your allies within Hogwarts are ready, correct?"

"Yes," Draco answered. "We left them instructions in case of an emergency."

"Good, good. Go to sleep. I've spoken to your parents and we have decided to go with the story that they had no knowledge of your activities. They'll deny everything."

The teenagers all nodded in understanding. It was necessary, after all.

* * *

><p>Back at Hogwarts, the news of the attack was just breaking.<p>

"I knew they were evil!" Ron exclaimed after Professor McGonagall delivered the news to the Gryffindor common room.

"What does this mean, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"Hogwarts is in complete lockdown, Miss Granger. A professor will escort you to each class. The school will continue to function as a school, but no one is to leave these walls. Not even for the Easter holidays."

* * *

><p>The Dark Knights still gathered in the Room of Requirement, as they had to prepare for the arrival of the Deatheaters via the vanishing cabinet.<p>

At Borgin & Burke's in Knockturn Alley, Voldemort, his apprentices, and twenty loyal Deatheaters were waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Then it would be time for them to infiltrate Hogwarts. Over a hundred Deatheaters were waiting for the Dark Lord's command for them to apparate to Hogwarts.

The Dark Lord cast a quick spell. Then he said, "It is time."

They each entered the magical cabinet and ended up at the other in, in the Room of Requirement.

"Welcome back, Harry," Jack said.

Harry acknowledged him with a nod, and then the Dark Lord spoke.

"Is everything ready?" he asked Jessica.

The seventh year nodded. "Students are monitoring the common rooms and the four largest groups are waiting for your signal to move. We expect resistance from some of the older students. Rumor has it that Weasley and Granger created something called 'Dumbledore's Army'."

The Dark Lord turned to his apprentices and said, "Handle this so called army. I'll deal with Dumbledore and his pathetic Order of the Phoenix." To his right hand man, he said, "Rabastan, being dismantling the wards. Do it as quickly as you can."

The room obeyed Rabastan's request for a window that gave him a clear view of the night sky and the invisible wards that protected Hogwarts. He stood next to it and aimed his wand at the sky, and began muttering the words that would bring the wards crashing down.

"Get ready," Harry told the Dark Knights that were still there. "Dumbledore's going to figure things out soon. Alert the groups that are waiting."

Then there was a rumble as the first ward fell.

"The Order's arriving," Jessica said, looking a piece of charmed parchment. The leaders of the groups had the others, so that they could communicate. "There's a good view of them from the Ravenclaw Common Room."

"Don't have them move yet. It'll be easier once they're all in the castle."

Meanwhile, outside the Room of Requirement, panic ensued as the students found out that the wards around Hogwarts were somehow collapsing.

Prefects corralled the younger students and herded them to safety. Dumbledore had called in a favor with his brother, Aberforth, and had created a secret passageway from Hogwarts to the basement of Hog's Head.

While most of the students were escaping, others chose to stay. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were among those students the other members of Dumbledore's Army.

The group of thirty or so students burst into Dumbledore's office as the heads of houses and the members of the Order of the Phoenix planned a strategy.

"We want to help!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron, get out of here!" his father shouted, suddenly gaining a backbone.

"We're here to fight," Seamus said. "We've been training for this."

"And we're all almost of age," Hermione pointed out.

Dumbledore sighed and looked at the assembled group of students. "Fine. After all, we need all the help we can get."

While they got back to planning a counter attack, Voldemort was already ahead of them. The wards were almost down and the Deatheaters were massing outside the gates, getting ready to attack. The Dark Knights spread themselves out around the castle, from the courtyard to the Great Hall, and from the Astronomy Tower to the dungeons. The very youngest members held down the fort, so to speak, in the Room of Requirement.

Remus arrived at the Room of Requirement as the last ward fell. "Harry!"

"Remus!"

"Are you alright?"

Harry nodded. "I'm fine, and I'm ready. You should be to. Greyback's been spotted among the Deatheaters."

Remus' eyes hardened and he tightened his grip on his wand. "Good." The professor left the Room of Requirement and headed to join the group in the courtyard.

Then Voldemort amplified his voice with a spell. "DEFENDERS OF HOGWARTS. SURRENDER, BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALREADY LOST. I AM INSIDE YOUR FORTESS, THE FORMERLY IMPENETRABLE CASTLE KNOWN AS HOGWARTS. SURRENDER NOW AND I SHALL BE MERCIFUL. SURRENDER NOW AND I SHALL SPARE YOU. FIGHT AGAINST ME, AND YOU SHALL DIE."

Dumbledore's office was completely silent, until there was the sound of a body hitting the floor.

Seamus had fainted.

A blast of water from Ron's wand had him sputtering.

"Albus, what do we do?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked. He had been holed up at Hogwarts since Voldemort's takeover of the Ministry.

"We have to go down fighting," Dumbledore said in a weary voice. "That's all we can do." He then amplified his voice, much like Voldemort had done a few minutes earlier, and said, "UNLIKE YOU TOM, WE ARE NOT COWARDS. WE WILL GO DOWN FIGHITNG."

From his office window, Albus could see the force of over a hundred Deatheaters sweeping towards the castle. "Go," he said to his small, yet determined band.

They rushed out of the headmaster's office and down the spiral staircase. They ran straight into an ambush. Blaise and Dean led a group of ten Deatheaters who were lying in wait for them.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The first beam of light hit Arthur Weasley straight in the chest. The first shot had been fired.

Spells lit up the hallway as Deatheaters surged through the castle, battling against older students and the Order of the Phoenix.

It was quickly becoming apparent that the Light was losing.

Harry led his group through the castle, eliminating as many members of the opposition as possible, when a spell almost hit him in the back. He turned a saw a seething Ron Weasley, backed by Seamus Finnegan.

"Go," Harry said to Daphne. "I've got this covered." Once Daphne had nodded and left, leading the group to another part of the castle, Harry said to Ron, "I see that your aim still needs work, Weasley."

"Shut up."

"I've heard that from you over a dozen times in the past year alone. Try to be more original."

"Shut up!"

"That's a really creative one. Stupefy!"

Ron dodged the spell and returned fire. "Expelliarmus!"

Harry's next spell, a bludgeoning hex, soared over Ron's shoulder and hit Seamus in the face. He crumpled to the ground for the second time in the space of a few hours. Except this time, he wasn't getting up.

Ron looked at his friend in shock before returning fire as furiously as ever. Harry ducked, dodged, and dived as quickly as he could before sneaking a spell past Ron's defenses and knocking him out. The Weasel had gotten good.

But there was no time to finish off his enemy how he wanted, so a beam of bright green light had to suffice. Then he rushed off to rejoin the battle.

* * *

><p>Neville and his mentor had joined the members of the Dark Knights that were stationed at the top of the Astronomy Tower, firing spells at the reinforcements of renegade Aurors, led by Alastor Moody, that were arriving.<p>

Neville saw a spell out of the corner of his eye. BUt it didnt't hit him. Rabastan suddenly pitched forward. Neville reached out, trying to reach the man's robes to pull him back to safely, but his hands only grasped empty air. He watched as Rabastan's eyes cycled through various emotions, beginning with shock and ending at acceptance.

Then he fell limply through the air. Neville forced himself to watch as his mentor's body landed with a unheard crack on the cobblestones below.

Then an inhuman scream wrenched its way out of Neville's throat. He whirled around, looking for the source of the spell. And then he saw Hermione, hiding in the shadows and on the verge of fleeing.

"Neville?" the Muggleborn witch whispered in shock. "You're alive?"

Neville didn't answer. He simply strode over to her and snatched her wand out of her hand. "You don't deserve magic," he growled, before snapping her wand in half and throwing it over the battlement. And you don't deserve to live either."

He lifted her by the neck, ignoring her desperate struggles.

"Neville...please," she wheezed.

Neville squeezed tighter.

Hermione's lips were losing their color and her struggles became weaker.

_Snap._

Neville let go and let her broken body fall to the floor.

As he exited the tower, Jack sprinted past him and shouted, "The Dark Lord and Dumbledore are dueling!"

Neville went to the only place that made sense. The Great Hall.

* * *

><p>Fenrir Greyback didn't care who was dueling whom. He cared about himself and himself only. He watched as a young witch, with long, curly blonde hair fell to the ground, courtesy of a stray body-binding spell. She hadn't even been part of fighting.<p>

Seeing a golden opportunity, Greyback did what he did best.

Soon, the girl's blood tricked down his throat, both inside and out. Her eyes were slowly gazing over.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Remus had been saving his one use of the spell for one person and one person only. And that person was Fenrir Greyback. He watched with a look of grim satisfaction as the light bled out of Greyback's eyes before he slumped to the floor.

Remus levitated him off Lavender to see what damage the monster had done. He did what he could to staunch the flow of flood from Lavender's neck, but he knew it was too late. He undid the body-bind and simply sat there.

"Thank...you," Lavender gurgled through the blood that was slowly choking her.

"You're welcome."

* * *

><p>In the Great Hall, it was clear that this was it. It was the end and only one of the two great wizards battling it out would survive to see the morning.<p>

And Voldemort knew who it would be.

* * *

><p>By daybreak, Dumbledore was dead. The legendary duel had lasted for over three hours, and by the end of it, Voldemort was more tired than he ever had been.<p>

But they hadn't been without causalities, and Neville had been catatonic since the end of the battle. He hadn't left Rabastan's body, which lay in the shadow of the Astronomy Tower.

The Dark Lord swept through the Great Hall, taking note of the surviving Deatheaters. The students had been sent home for the summer, and the teachers and other defenders who had refused to swear allegiance to the Dark Lord had been killed. But most of them had compiled, and were currently thinking up ways to repair the school as quickly as possible.

The battle had done significant damage to the castle. There were marks on the walls from spells, shards of glass in the corridors, and broken pieces of stonework all over the place.

Voldemort was already thinking up his own places for where to go after his conquest of Britain. Of course, there would still be some resistance, but his apprentices would be able to handle that.

He had the Ministry. He had the school. And betst of all, Dumbledore was dead. There would be no more hiding. Now it was time for the Dark to rise.

* * *

><p><strong>So that's it. That's the end (*runs away while dodging flying pitchforks*). I hope everyone enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who's read, followed, favorited, or reviewed. I appreciate it very, very much.<strong>


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